Coach Joel Johnson coaches the University of Minnesota as they host St. Cloud State University in a Nov. 17, 2017 WCHA matchup at Ridder Arena, in Minneapolis. USA Hockey announced Wednesday that Johnson, the newly-hired women’s hockey coach for St. Thomas, will lead the U.S. Olympic women’s hockey team at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing, China. (Photo courtesy of Jim Rosvold/Gopher Athletics)
USA Hockey announced Wednesday that Joel Johnson, the newly-hired women’s hockey coach for St. Thomas, will lead the U.S. Olympic women’s hockey team at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing, China.
This is Johnson’s first stint heading an Olympic team, but he has been involved in the international stage in his past.
“It is an incredible honor to be given this opportunity as it simply doesn’t get any more special as an athlete or a coach than to represent your country at the highest level,” Johnson said in a Tommie Sports press release. “I’m very humbled and consider it a privilege to work with what I know will be a tremendous group of athletes and staff as we prepare for Beijing 2022.”
USA Hockey also named Pittsburgh Penguins coach Mike Sullivan as the U.S. Olympic men’s coach and David Hoff as the Paralympics coach.
“We’re thrilled with the head coaches that will guide our teams at the upcoming Olympics and Paralympics,” USA Hockey executive director Pat Kelleher said in a press release. “We’ve said all along that our objective is to bring home three gold medals, and with the experience and leadership possessed by Mike, Joel and David, we know our teams are in good hands.”
According to USA Hockey, Johnson has been involved with the organization that oversees the nation’s hockey teams since 2000, and has been closely involved with the U.S. women’s national team since 2015. He led the U.S. Under-18 Women’s National Team to four straight gold medals between 2015 and 2018 in the IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship.
Johnson will also serve as head coach of the 2021 U.S. Women’s National Team at the IIHF Women’s World Championship in Calgary from Aug. 21-30, USA Hockey said.
Johnson served as an assistant or associate coach for the University of Minnesota women’s hockey team from 1999-2004 and again from 2010-2021 before coming to St. Thomas. He coached at Bethel University in between his two stints at the U of M, where he coached hockey, soccer and golf.
Justin Amaker can be reached at justin.amaker@stthomas.edu.