theimagemagazine Feb. 19, 2020
Sports
29
In the Wickenheiser Cup match, sophomore PATRICK JOHNSON looks to pass the puck to one of his teammates as he skates down the ice. • photo by JACK WEAVER
before, but she isn’t quite ready for him to leave again. “It will be a bit more quiet. Since we went through this with him in eighth grade, we kind of know what to expect. We all will for sure miss having him around, but we also know this is what he wants,” Michelle said. It wasn’t an easy process getting his parents to agree for him to go off again for a whole year, especially with junior year right around the corner. However, Johnson rose to the challenge and proved he was able to handle it all. “Knowing that this is what he wants so badly makes it feel like the right decision,” Michelle said “He has proven to us that he is responsible and mature enough for this opportunity, and we are so happy for him.” Not only will Patrick be leaving his family and friends at Lafayette behind, but he’ll also be leaving the Lancer’s hockey team for a season or so. One of the key players on the team, Johnson’s rookie year was strong enough to earn him the Wickenheiser Cup MVP award in 2019. This season, Johnson has continued being one of the top players on the ice, scoring 13 goals and assisting in six. Head Coach of the Lafayette ice hockey team, Jim Carrico, has valued Johnson’s work from the first moment he played for the Lancers. “Patrick plays the game the right way,” Carrico said. “He is the ultimate leader and teammate. He doesn’t trash talk the other team. You never see him pouting or complaining. He just goes out and plays. He works as hard as he can each time he hits the ice. He never gives up.” When Carrico learned of Johnson’s tender with the Bobcats, he wasn’t surprised to hear it. He knew Johnson would play the best hockey he could, whether it be with the Lancers, the NAHL
or Division I college hockey. “Players like him don’t come along often. He has earned this chance. He will do well and the NAHL will be just another stepping stone to move on to the next level,” Carrico said. “He will be missed next year. In the meantime, we will enjoy his remaining time with our Lafayette Ice Hockey Team.” Sophomore teammate James Vermeersch has known Johnson for a long time, and is excited for his friend to get the opportunity of a lifetime. “I talked to him a few days before he left for Bismarck. I kind of knew in my head he was going to sign that weekend but didn’t know for sure,” Vermeersch said. “I saw him play and saw him score on his first shot, which was pretty cool. He texted me the next day and told me he signed that night before he came home.” Not only has Johnson proved to his coach that his leadership skills are to be missed, he has proven it to his teammates as well by being a leader both on the ice and in the locker room. “He’s got a lot of skills and a great attitude,” Vermeersch said. “We’ve become really close these last few years, with going to the same school and playing on two different hockey teams together. I will miss playing hockey with him and hanging out with him outside of that.” Johnson remains optimistic to return to Lafayette in his junior year, and reunite with all of his friends from the team. When he arrives in North Dakota in August of 2020, he’ll attend Century High School and take courses that will transfer to Lafayette for his return in either April or May of 2021. “We have a great group here, and we all go to this great school,” Johnson said. “One of the hardest parts about leaving Lafayette hockey is that I’m going to miss the boys a lot, but I know they’ll be supporting me here while I’m gone.”
