After missing Sochi Olympics, USA's Jack Johnson dons red, white and blue again
"Captain America" is back where you would expect him — playing for Team USA.
Jack Johnson, a regular on the U.S. hockey team, was not selected to play for the Americans in the Sochi Olympics in 2014, but now the defenseman is back for the World Cup that starts Sept. 17 in Toronto.
“He’s always been the heart-and-soul USA Hockey guy,” U.S. teammate Zach Parise said. “At every World Championship, it seems like he’s there. You can tell he loves putting on the jersey to play for the U.S. team at every opportunity.”
The World Cup will be the 11th international tournament in which Johnson has represented the U.S., but it may be the most meaningful for him after missing the Winter Games.
Because the selection committee for the Olympic team allowed reporters to be embedded in the process, everyone knew that the committee concluded that Johnson wasn’t playing well enough to earn a spot.
That was not any easy decision to reach because the American ruling body has long appreciated Johnson’s commitment to the U.S. program.
“If there is a game going on, Jack wants to play,” said USA Hockey Assistant Executive Director Jim Johannson. “He has never asked ‘where, or ‘with who.’ He just asks when he needs to be there.”
Johnson said even when he was passed over in 2014 he never doubted he would be back in a U.S. jersey.
“I knew I still had all of the physical abilities to do it,” Johnson said. “I had some ups-and-downs over the last few years. I knew once I got back to having fun playing hockey I could turn things around.”
Johnson is a two-way 230-pound defenseman who battles like a linebacker in front of the net. U.S. coach John Tortorella said Johnson made the team because of “what he can do below the hash marks against big players, (and) his willingness to play in the corners.”
Tortorella has used him with 260-pound Dustin Byfuglien to form a beefy tandem to use against big forwards. They looked like a formidable twosome in their first pre-tournament game against Canada on Saturday.
“The thing I love about (Johnson) is that he will make a mistake through aggression,” Tortorella said. “I would rather have a guy like that instead of one testing the waters.”
Since not making the U.S. team in 2014, Johnson has married Kelly Quinn to make him a member of a high-profile sports family. Kelly is the sister of former Notre Dame and NFL quarterback Brady Quinn, who married former Olympic gymnast Alicia Sacramone. Kelly’s sister is married to former NFL linebacker A.J. Hawk.
Johnson said it’s a close-knit family that gathers together. He said Quinn and Hawk are like older brothers to him.
“There’s a lot of athletes in the family, but honestly when we are together, we never talk sports,” said Johnson, laughing. “We all have kids now so when we are at family gatherings, we talk about the kids.”
Tortorella is also Johnson’s coach in Columbus, and he clearly respects Johnson’s attitude.
“He’s as low-maintenance as any player I’ve been around,” Tortorella said. “He just wants to play the game the right way. I think he’s selfless. He’s not looking for accolades. He wouldn’t be in the business, at this level, if he didn’t have an ego. But it’s the right type of ego. It’s about his team and his country. That’s what you need in this short period when you are trying to build camaraderie.”