Johnson rounds out UAF hockey recruiting list
Johnson rounds out UAF hockey recruiting list
Submitted by Scott Wilson
Phone: (907) 474-6807
05/25/04
The University of Alaska Fairbanks picked up its final hockey recruit of the spring signing period today when Donald Johnson inked a National Letter of Intent to play his collegiate hockey with the Nanooks. First-year head coach Tavis MacMillan made the announcement earlier Tuesday.
Johnson is a 6 foot 1 inch, 200-pound right shot forward from Anaheim Hills, CA. He played the last two seasons with the South Surrey Eagles in the British Columbia Junior Hockey League. He finished the regular season with 22 goals and 49 assists for 71 points. Johnson was the fifth leading scorer in the BCJHL playoffs with 13 goals and 22 points in just 13 games.
"Donald Johnson will give us another force up front. His size and speed will help him make the transition to college hockey and the CCHA," said MacMillan. "Donald has a relentless work ethic and has a ’bull in a china shop’ mentality. He averaged a goal a game in the BCJHL playoffs and that’s no small accomplishment. Donald is a late bloomer and his best years of hockey are still ahead of him."
Johnson joins a long list of UAF hockey recruits who have signed this year with the Nanooks. Other spring recruits signing Letters include: Tyler Eckford, a 6 foot 1 inch, 200-pound defense from Langley, BC; Brandon Gawryletz, a 6 foot, 185-pound defenseman from Trail, BC; Adam Naglich, a 6 foot 1 inch, 182-pound center from Las Vegas, NV; Kyle Jones, a 5 foot 10 inch, 177-pound center from Airdrie, AB; T.J. Campbell, a 6 foot, 185-pound defenseman from Fort McMurray, AB; Paul Crowder, a 6 foot 3 inch, 190-pound right shot center from Victory, BC; Troy Newton, a 6 foot, 172-pound forward from Kimberly, BC; and Adam Powell, a 6 foot 1 inch, 225-pound forward from Fairbanks, AK.
A total of six recruits signed with the Nanooks during the early signing period. They included: Darcy Campbell, a 5 foot 11 inch, 175-pound defenseman from Airdrie, AB; Kyle Greentree, a 6 foot 3 inch, 200-pound left wing from Victoria, BC; Aaron Lee, a 6 foot, 180-pound forward from Calgary, AB; Ryan McLeod, a 5 foot 10 inch, 175-pound right-handed shooting center from Fernie, BC; Ryan Muspratt, a 6 foot, 190-pound right-handed center from Calgary, AB; and Wylie Rogers, a 5 foot 10 inch, 160-pound goaltender from Fairbanks.
The Nanooks finished the 2003-04 season with a 16-19-1 overall record and a 14-13-1 slate in the prestigious Central Collegiate Hockey Association. UAF finished sixth in the regular season standings and hosted the first round of CCHA playoffs.
"Jason Lammers and Todd Jones (UAF assistant coaches) did a great job putting
this recruiting class together. It is definitely one of the best classes in the history
of the program," said MacMillan. "This class has a mixture of everything