Czech up to Rise Up

Published on January 12, 2012 under National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Edmonton Rush News Release


Edmonton, AB-- Maybe it was the bangers and mash... Or the Czech pilsner. Whether the traditional English breakfast or a tasty Czech beverage led to Tom Johnson's resurgence in lacrosse is up for debate, however the six-foot-two, 210-pounder from Vancouver sure enjoyed himself on the world stage.

The 26 year-old British Columbia product joined the British Empire for the 2011 World Indoor Lacrosse Championship last May in Prague, Czech Republic, where the fun-loving laxer put up tremendous numbers and appeared to fire the trigger more than English secret agent James Bond on special assignment.

Johnson, teamed up with a few other Canadian imports and Washington Stealth bench boss Chris Hall, who guided the English squad to a two wins against one loss (badly to Canada) in round-robin play, and a top five finish in international play.

England finished out of the medals, however Johnson - thanks to his ancestry in the UK that allowed him to play - tied for the tournament lead in scoring (with American scoring ace Casey Powell) with 31 points in five games collecting 15 goals and 16 assists.

"I knew I had English ancestry and really wanted to play at the Worlds in Prague," he recalled. "They (Team England) told me they'd love to have me as long as I could prove my ancestry and then I could play as one of the four import players.

"It was just so lucky my Mom went to my cousins' baby shower and she happened to have my grandmother's English birth certificate there. It worked out perfect. The next thing I was playing for England at the World Championships."

Johnson and the Britons, who finished behind Canada in one tournament seeding division, dropped a quarter-final matchup against the host Czechs, before pounding the Australians 23-8 for fifth spot when Johnson fired five goals and five assists for a whopping 10-point effort.

"The tournament was fantastic," said the left-handed shot. "The English guys were awesome people. It was just a fantastic experience and definitely one of the highlights of my career."

"I've always liked Tom's game," said Rush GM/coach and Team Canada assistant Derek Keenan, who brought Johnson to Edmonton. "He's a big, athletic and skilled guy, so he brings a lot of qualities to his game.

"Seeing him play in Prague, he played a significant role with that (English) club. He played quite a bit with the ball on his stick which really hasn't been his thing in the past, but he certainly proved he can be a marquee guy."

Feeling completely healthy for the first time since his stellar 2009 National Lacrosse League season with the Stealth, Johnson - one year removed from torn ACL surgery - appeared to have his game and his confidence back on track in Prague.

"Taking that brace off and having some success at the tournament, it was huge," said Johnson, who was cut loose in the off-season by Washington after two sub-par campaigns, thanks primarily to his wonky knee and fragile mind-set. "The doctors said it would take me about one year. I took the brace off and it felt really good. I felt explosive and it really helped to get my confidence back."

Building on his international success, the former Delta junior standout went looking for a new locale for the 2012 NLL season and a fresh start and grabbed both by signing in Edmonton.

And he didn't disappoint when he came to Rushland.

"He came to camp with a mission," said Keenan. "He didn't come to camp expecting to have a spot sewn up. He walked through the doors in tremendous shape and earned a spot on this team with his performance.

"He does a lot of little things that are important on offense and he's a real smart player. Because he's such a big body he gets to the middle of the floor extremely well and he's fearless. Those are good qualities to have in the offensive end.

"He gives us a different element with his size, strength and skill, so he's a pretty unique player to have," added Keenan. "I look for him to set big picks, catch the ball in tight and he's a good finisher inside. We won't count on him for big numbers, but if he scores four goals a game, that's gravy."

All part of the plan, according to Johnson.

"For me, just to be a part of the team and contribute wherever Coach Keenan wants me, that's what I'll do," he said. "If he wants me to grind it out and pick up loose balls and set picks, that's what I'll do. Then I'll try to finish on all my chances, too."

And while the left-handed forward has slotted in nicely with Edmonton leading to the upcoming season -- he's eager to return to the NLL title game for a third consecutive appearance - this time in Rush silks.

"The goal is to bring an NLL championship to the City of Champions," Johnson said. "Making the playoffs is first and hopefully hosting a playoff game here would be phenomenal. That would be the first step back for this club.

"We're definitely a contender and this is far from the team I played against last year with Washington. I don't know why we shouldn't set our goals high here with the guys we have in place."

The Rush opens their seventh NLL season on Jan. 20 when West-rival the Colorado Mammoth visit Rexall Place for a 7 p.m. faceoff. Tickets are available by calling The Rush office at (780) 732-RUSH.

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