Mike Johnston | |||
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Born |
Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada | February 19, 1957||
Current WHL coach | Portland Winterhawks | ||
Coached for |
Pittsburgh Penguins Vancouver Canucks Los Angeles Kings UNB Varsity Reds Calgary Dinos Augustana University College | ||
Coaching career | 1982–present |
Mike Johnston (born February 19, 1957) is a Canadian ice hockey coach who currently serves as head coach, vice president and general manager of the Portland Winterhawks of the Western Hockey League. Johnston led the Winterhawks to four consecutive WHL Finals appearances, including a championship in 2013.
After six historic seasons in Portland, Johnston was hired as the head coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL). He spent one plus season as the bench boss of the Penguins before returning to Portland in an elevated role.
During Johnston's nine years in Portland, he helped 28 Winterhawks get drafted into the NHL, including eight players being selected in the first round. Before his tenure with Portland, he worked for Team Canada and spent nearly a decade as an assistant and associate coach with the Vancouver Canucks (1999–2006) and the Los Angeles Kings (2006–2008). [1] Currently he is a "Hockey Player Development" instructor for the online sports-career training school Sports Management Worldwide, founded and run by Dr. Lynn Lashbrook.[1]