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USHL Madison Capitols

Johnson & Caps Feel They Have Unfinished Business

May 27, 2015 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Madison Capitols News Release


Madison, WI- As the Madison Capitols trudged and literally pushed their way through a pounding snowstorm in Muskegon on January 10, the squad had a sense of unfinished business.

Just one night earlier, a two-goal lead slipped away before the Lumberjacks, the eventual USHL Eastern Conference champion, outlasted Madison in a 13-round shootout.

Still, the Capitols had an air of confidence about themselves, having swept the Cedar Rapids Roughriders before the Christmas holiday, and knocking off the Green Bay Gamblers and the same Lumberjacks in the month of December.

Perhaps most importantly, the Madison offense had awoken from the doldrums of an early season slumber, as Haralds Egle and Will Johnson could rarely be kept off the scoresheet. Egle carried a stretch of registering at least a point in 12 of his prior 14 games, while Johnson continued filling up the stat column so frequently that he remained in the top 10 among USHL point-getters.

Johnson showed no signs of stopping. After tallying a goal and a helper the night before, he quickly opened the scoring with his ninth goal and 36th point in just his 30th game.

The Santa Barbara, Calif. native, who had a 10-game point-streak by the Christmas holiday, still felt he was only starting to hit his stride.

"My line (with Sam McCormick & Ryan Lohin) was clicking and I had started feeling really good," Johnson recalled.

Then, as abruptly as he had taken the USHL scoring race by storm, a player who acknowledged that he "never missed a shift" in his life, had a brand new challenge.

"When it happened, I kind of said, 'Okay, it's just a little pain. Tape it up and I'm going to step back out there,'" Johnson explained.

However, the hockey gods had other ideas for the 18-year-old Johnson.

"Right when I tried stepping on it again, and I collapsed down, I knew it wasn't going to be good," continued Johnson.

The Capitols would not get their most prolific scorer back for the remainder of the season, as a knee injury on a non-contact play presented a most disappointing end to a season loaded with promise.

"It was probably the lowest moment of my life," Johnson stated simply, yet poignantly. "I knew what our team had and what we could have done, and what I personally could have done."

What the injury did do for Johnson was serve as a motivational factor to stick around with Madison for the 2015-16 season, a thought that had not crossed his mind fully in year one.

"My plan has always been to go into college as soon as possible," Johnson said. "(Staying another year) was a decision where I know that we're going to make the playoffs, and I know we can win the (Clark) Cup. I definitely want to be a part of that team."

While Johnson would not stop emphasizing the team's lofty expectations, he admitted to having a little extra motivation on an individual level.

"I want to go back; I have some unfinished business personally," Johnson stated.

It would take until the month of March for Freddy Gerard and Egle to finally eclipse Johnson's 36-point mark, and Madison dearly missed its speedy left-winger. Unlike many of his teammates, who were playing their first full junior hockey season, Johnson credits his experience with the NAHL's Minnesota Magicians as a launching pad to a strong first USHL campaign.

"It was a complete game-changer. Having bus travels and multiple games in one weekend really changes your mindset," Johnson said. "It really helped for that year, knowing what was coming for the next year."

As has been the case for many other junior players his age, Johnson was also quick to point to his head coach, Luke Strand, as an influence on his improved play.

"(Coach Strand) really taught me more of an all-around game," Johnson said. "When I came in, he said 'we know you have that offensive talent, but you're going to have to learn to play all-around.' He was very tough with me; he demands perfection and I knew that's what I had to give."

On the heels of a year cut far too short, but that saw more than a flash of brilliance, one might expect Johnson's goal to be regaining his form from a year ago, but the California kid has other ideas.

"I want to do better than I did last year. I want to put up more than 36 points in the first 30 games and just keep doing better," he says. "Hopefully by the end of it, I did the best I could. The big goal is to have this team make the playoffs and win the Cup; that's all we're focused on."

Johnson and potentially over 300 points worth of production will take to the ice this fall for the Capitols' second season, with tryout camps for draft picks occurring in the middle of June.

Madison Capitols 2015-16 season tickets and 12-game packages for next season are available now by visiting www.MadCapsHockey.com. Fans who pay in full for season tickets by June 1 will receive a specialty Season Ticket Holder jersey. Packages can also be purchased by calling (608) 257-CAPS (2277).

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