In A Class By Himself

Johnson's legacy? I le believed in the U.S. hockey player, especially the college player, before it was fashionable to do so. Because of his success in using U.S. players, other coaches have followed his lead, and today the NHL, which 20 years ago was almost exclusively populated by Canadians, has scores of U.S. players. A dozen or more are of a caliber Johnson liked to refer to as "world class." All of them owe a debt to Bob Johnson. The fine thing is, most of them know it and honor his memory every time they strap on the blades.