2011 AHCA NATIONAL AWARDS
MINNEAPOLIS -- Augsburg College men's hockey assistant coach Bruce Johnson '68 will be honored for his lifetime contributions to the growth of amateur hockey with the American Hockey Coaches Association's John "Snooks" Kelley Founders Award in April.
A 1968 Augsburg alumnus and a 2007 inductee into the Augsburg Athletic Hall of Fame, Johnson will receive the award at the AHCA Convention in Naples, Fla., on April 30. Johnson has served as an assistant coach for the Auggies since 2006.
Presented since 1981, the AHCA's John "Snooks" Kelley Founders Award "honors those people in the coaching profession who have contributed to the overall growth and development of the sport of ice hockey in the United States," according to the AHCA's website.
Johnson has been involved in hockey, either as a coach or administrator, for more than 40 years, including 32 seasons (1970-2002) as head coach at Robbinsdale Armstrong High School. Johnson won 401 games with the Falcons and earned both conference and section coach of the year honors twice.
As a player, Johnson played one season at Division I Minnesota-Duluth, then transferred to Augsburg, where he played for legendary coach Ed Saugestad '59. After working for a year at Richfield High School, he moved to Robbinsdale High School in 1969, and the following year, moved to Robbinsdale Armstrong High School, where he was named head coach of the hockey team.
In 2000-01, Johnson was named the John Mariucci Minnesota State Class AA Coach of the Year by the Minnesota Hockey Coaches Association, and he received the Minnesota State High School Coaches Association's George Haun Award in 2003 and Dave Peterson Award in 2004. Johnson was inducted into the Minnesota Hockey Coaches Hall of Fame in 2007. He also served as an assistant coach at the University of Notre Dame in 1977-78.
Johnson was named athletic/activities director at Armstrong in 1995 and served in that position until 2003. He was named Region 6AA Athletic Director of the Year in 2003. He served as president of the Minnesota Hockey Coaches Association from 1993-95, and has worked as the organization's executive director from 1999-2006. Johnson has served as a coach and adminstrator at numerous levels of hockey for the Armstrong Youth Hockey Association, Minnesota Hockey (MAHA), and USA Hockey.
Johnson received his bachelor's degree in social studies (physical education minor) from Augsburg in 1968, and his master's degree from St. Thomas in 1976. He has pursued graduate course work at Minnesota, Indiana and St. Thomas, and received his special education certification from St. Thomas in 1986. Johnson's three children -- Leah, Thomas and Aaron -- all attended Augsburg, and Aaron earned All-American honors twice as a member of the Augsburg men's hockey team.
Johnson is the second Auggie to be honored with an AHCA lifetime achievement award in the past decade. In 2002, Ed Saugestad '59 received the AHCA's John MacIness Award, honoring his coaching career and contributions to the growth of amateur hockey.
