Mark Johnson is a former professional ice hockey player who had a successful career in the National Hockey League (NHL) and international competitions. He was born on September 22, 1957, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and grew up playing hockey in the state's youth leagues.
Johnson played college hockey at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he was a standout player and helped lead the team to a national championship in 1977. He was also a member of the US national team during his college years and competed in the 1976 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria.
After college, Johnson was drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the second round of the 1977 NHL Entry Draft. He played for the Penguins for two seasons before being traded to the Minnesota North Stars in 1979. Johnson played for the North Stars for three seasons before being traded to the Hartford Whalers in 1982.
Johnson's best season in the NHL came in 1984-85 when he scored 31 goals and had 69 points for the Whalers. He played for the Whalers for two more seasons before being traded to the St. Louis Blues in 1987. Johnson played one season for the Blues before retiring from the NHL in 1988.
In addition to his NHL career, Johnson was a member of the US national team for many years and competed in several international competitions. He was a member of the US team that won the gold medal at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York. Johnson scored two goals in the famous "Miracle on Ice" game against the Soviet Union, including the game-tying goal in the final seconds of the first period.
Johnson also played for the US national team in the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia, and the 1987 Canada Cup. He was inducted into the US Hockey Hall of Fame in 2004.
After retiring from playing, Johnson became a coach and has had a successful career in that role as well. He has coached at the college level, including at his alma mater, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and has also coached at the professional level in the NHL and minor leagues.
Overall, Mark Johnson had a successful hockey career as both a player and coach. He was a key member of the US national team during the 1980s and played for several NHL teams during his career. Johnson's contributions to the sport have been recognized with his induction into the US Hockey Hall of Fame and his continued involvement in coaching.
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