Wisconsin Badgers Hockey: The All-Time team
Bob Johnson
It couldn’t be anyone else behind the bench than the man who is known as “Badger Bob.” The coach for three of the six Badger teams to win a National Championship, Johnson spent seventeen years behind the bench in Madison, coaching the 1976 Olympic team, and seven more national teams in his long career. With 367 career wins as the Badger coach, Johnson is head and shoulders above the crowd as the face of Badger hockey.
After leaving Wisconsin, Johnson would spend six years coaching in the NHL, going to two Stanley Cup Finals, and winning the Cup in his final season with Pittsburgh in 1991. Sadly, Johnson would pass away late in 1991 from brain cancer while coaching the Penguins. Following his death, the team honored him by adding his name to the Cup again as they went back-to-back, with Scotty Bowman quoting, “The coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins will always be Bob Johnson.” He’s a member of the US Hockey Hall of Fame (1991) and the Hockey Hall of Fame (1992), signifying his status as one of the greatest coaches and minds in hockey history.
But beyond his ability as a coach, it was his demeanor that separated Johnson from his contemporaries. A mild-mannered and genial man, Johnson was forever an optimist, exclaiming on a regular basis that “It’s a good day to play hockey.” His belief in his players was second to none and his teams consistently rewarded that belief.
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Despite only coaching for six years in the NHL, Johnson is fourth all-time among American coaches in victories. The honors bestowed upon him even now, 27 years after his death remain numerous. The entrance of the Penguins home arena has Johnson’s famous quote in prominence at the entrance, and the Badgers currently play their home games in the Bob Johnson Rink. There’s no disputing his role as the coach of the All-Time Badgers, and thanks to Badger Bob, it’ll always be a great day to play some hockey.