Luke Johnson Commits to Minnesota Duluth
April 13, 2022 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Lincoln Stars News Release
Stars forward Luke Johnson has announced his commitment to the University of Minnesota Duluth, an NCAA Division I program playing in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference.
Johnson, 20, has scored 15 goals and added 17 assists with Lincoln in his first USHL season after playing in the North American Hockey League (NAHL) last year.
"It feels amazing," Johnson said. "Good things come to those who are patient. I'm thankful for all the support I had from my teammates. It makes you cherish it a little bit more and it's a good feeling to get rewarded."
In spite of his uncommitted status, Johnson has become a significant piece of Lincoln's forward group in 2021-22, elevating his skill set and work ethic as the year has progressed.
"It's a result of trusting the process," Stars head coach Rocky Russo said. "Luke came into this league as a free agent and his game has continued to improve throughout the year. He's had the right dedication to the game on and off the ice. He's grown as a player and a teammate."
The growth of Johnson's play away from the puck has been notable, creating takeaways and supporting his teammates in the defensive zone. In return, the Stars coaching staff is placing the left-handed forward in more important situations.
"I think I'm more trusted and relied on the defensive zone to take face-offs and play on the penalty kill," Johnson said. "I've been bought into both sides of the game recently and schools started to take notice of that."
"A lot of it is making him understand how much more effective a player can be when they play 200 feet," Russo said. "Luke has understood the importance and the value of playing in his own end and how it can create offense for him and he's really been able to take advantage of that."
Minnesota Duluth has won three Division I NCAA Championships in its history, most recently in 2019. They made the Frozen Four last season but finished this year's campaign 22-16-4. The Bulldogs' pedigree stuck out to Johnson when narrowing down his decision.
"The combination of them winning and producing NHL players, especially free agents, with the opportunity to develop from the coaching staff there was really exciting," Johnson said. "Getting a good education was also high on my priority list and they fit the bill there, too."
The opportunity to play college hockey a little over two hours from where he grew up in St. Cloud, MN doesn't hurt, either.
"I couldn't have dreamt it up any better," Johnson said. "I'm definitely thankful for the opportunity and I'm going to try and make the most of it."
Johnson will join the Bulldogs in 2022-23.
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