Johnson, Thomas (hockey player)

A native of a small village in the province of Manitoba, Tom Johnson played his first NHL match in the 1947–48 season, but due to problems with the transfer, the Montreal Canadiens permanent player became only 3 years later, in the 1950–51 season . It was a difficult time for Montreal: the team was going through a generational change, bit by bit gathering a new team of winners. An important part of the new team and became a young defender Tom Johnson. At the same time as Tom in 1947, another young quarterback, Doug Harvey , joined the Canadiens squad. In 1950, the Hubs coaching staff united the defenders in a couple - and this coaching decision for many years was decisive for the Canadiens defensive line. Johnson - Harvey defenders pair over the 11 years of existence won 8 James Norris Trophies for two, while Montreal, with the direct participation of its leading pair of defenders, won the Stanley Cup 6 times. Not distinguished by such speed skating as his partner Doug Harvey, who became a model of a new type of defender - a defender-creator who actively participated in the attacks of his team, but who had a great club and practically made no mistakes when playing in his own half of the field ^[1] Tom Johnson answered paired up for defense.

In 1961, after Doug Harvey left for the New York Rangers , the Montreal star pair defended. Tom Johnson played another 2 seasons for Montreal; in one of them, his partner was another future owner Norris Trophy, then only spending his first season in the NHL - Jacques Laperrier. In 1963, Tom moved to Boston , for which he played two more seasons before hanging his skates on a nail.

In 1970, Tom Johnson was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame . At that time, the former hockey player was taking his first steps in the coaching field: the Boston Bruins management appointed him head coach of the team. Head coach Tom Johnson worked 3 seasons; the second of them - the 1971-72 season - brought him another trophy: the Bruins won the Stanley Cup, the fifth in its history. In 1973, Tom Johnson left the coaching bridge, becoming an assistant general manager of the team. In total, Boston, Tom Johnson worked for more than 30 years, until retirement. On November 21, 2007, a former player and coach died of a heart attack at the age of 79.

• As a player:

Stanley Cup Winner (6): 1953, 1956-60

Winner James Norris Trophy : 1959

Member of the Hockey Hall of Fame since 1970

• As a trainer:

Stanley Cup Winner: 1972

• Tom Johnson - Stats at The Internet Hockey Database
• Tom Johnson - page on legendsofhockey.net