I wish I were in Los Angeles tonight. While it's starting to feel like playoff weather here in Ann Arbor, Michigan's finest hockey player isn't gearing up for the Frozen Four as the Yost faithful had hoped. Instead, Jack Johnson is making his debut tonight for the Kings and foregoing his final two years of college hockey.
Not that I blame him. It's not an understatement to say Johnson is the biggest thing to happen to Kings hockey since Wayne Gretzky departed Edmonton for the California sun. There's the t-shirts (Kill Jack Kill and JMFJ -- take a wild guess what that means). And there's the endless loop of videos on YouTube, a reel of hope for playoff-less fans:
LAK fans, you really don't know what you're getting into. After the Al Montoyas and Eric Nystroms left Michigan, Johnson was the face of Michigan hockey. He embodies what hockey markerters crave most -- scoring, hitting, and charisma to boot. And he's kind of an asshole, but in an adorable way. Piss him off? Canadian fans tried. He loves that; it just gives him more reason to punish your team on the ice.
A few quick ones about JMFJ:
- Last season, in a game up at Michigan State's Munn Ice Arena, Johnson was hit near the Spartan bench. As he came crashing down, his stick flung up and almost took off the heads of a few Spartans, including head coach Rick Comley. Careless use? Or just a little Jack for you?
- In a 4-0 blanking of Alaska Fairbanks last season at Yost, Johnson got into a team-wide tussel which landed five Wolverines in the penalty box with less than minute to go in the game. But he didn't just sit in the penalty box; he led his teammates in playing tic-tac-toe through the dust on the glass, and wrote "Go Blue."
- Scared of the hitting? That smirk? How about that shot? Here, Johnson almost ripped the head off of Boston College's goaltender with an absolute rocket.
- I also won't soon forget his heroics against Sweden in the World Junior Championships this year. The U.S. faced elimination going into the last round robin game against Sweden, and gave up a game-tying goal with just 14 seconds remaining in the third. Who made sure the U.S. didn't go home empty-handed? Jack. He scored a power play tally in overtime to allow the U.S. to continue on and eventually take home the bronze medal.
- It's not just about Jack, either. It's the whole Johnson family that took over Yost for two years. Who can miss younger brother Kenny, who seemed too preoccupied with running up and down the bleachers at Yost in a mini Jack jersey to even notice his brother playing on the ice. And fans didn't leave their seats in the second intermission. When the Pep Band blasted the Blue Brothers theme, Jack Sr. got his groove on, eliciting chants of 'Mr. Johnson, Mr. Johnson' from the student section. Wonder if that will become a Staples Center tradition...
Is he ready for the NHL? Yes. His skills are obviously there, and he doesn't take the excessive penalties that he did freshman year. He's just itching to make a difference. And tonight's the first time we get to watch if he can do it in Hollywood.