Chad Johnson Named To Team Canada For IIHF Wold Championships

Chad Johnson Named To Team Canada For IIHF Wold Championships

FAIRBANKS, AK – Team Canada's General Manager Mark Messier announced that former Alaska Nanook goalie Chad Johnson (Calgary AB), of the National Hockey League's New York Rangers, has been added to the Team Canada roster for the 2010 International Ice Hockey Federation Men's World Championships, May 7-23, in Cologne and Manheim, Germany.

“I am truly honored and excited to have received the invite to represent Canada at the World Championships,” said Johnson. “It has always been a dream of mine to represent Canada and have the honor of wear the Canadian jersey.”

The 23-year-old Johnson is coming off his first season of professional hockey — split between the Rangers and their American Hockey League affiliate the Hartford Wolf Pack — and will likely serve as a backup to Chris Mason.

“The University of Alaska Fairbanks and the Alaska Hockey program are extremely proud of Chad's selection to represent Team Canada at the World Championships,” said Alaska head coach Dallas Ferguson. “When you are asked to represent your country it is the ultimate honor for an athlete.  Chad is a great person and he will do a great job representing Team Canada.”

Johnson, who played from the Blue and Gold from 2005-2009, is the first player to be named to his country's senior national team for the World Championships; however, he is the second player to be named to a Team Canada roster as senior center Dion Knelsen (Three Hills, AB) (2006-10) was a member of Team Canada's junior squad for the 2007 IIHF World Junior Championships.

He made his NHL debut earlier this year on December 30 against the Philadelphia Flyers after Henrik Lundqvist was pulled from the game. He went 1-2-1 in four games for the Rangers and in 44 games with the Wolf Pack this season Johnson was 24-18-2 with a 2.54 GAA and a 0.911 save percentage.

A 2009 First Team All-American, CCHA Player of the Year and CCHA First Team All-Conference selection, Johnson was originally drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft. He was eventually traded to the Rangers in 2009 for the Blueshirts fifth-round draft pick in last year's draft.

Johnson will join his Blueshirt teammates Marc Staal and Micheal Del Zotto as part of Canada's team.

Canada plays an exhibition game on Tuesday and opens the tournament against Italy on May 8 in Mannheim, Germany.

“I am truly excited to be part of the team with so many great hockey players,” Johnson added. “I look forward to helping the team achieve its goal of winning gold and can't wait to get to Germany and for the tournament to start.”
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