The prestigious Don Clark Award is presented by Minnesota Hockey to an individual who over a period of many years has been dedicated to the grassroots growth and development of youth hockey in Minnesota. This year Roger Johnson was selected as the award winner and was honored at Minnesota Hockey's Annual Banquet this past weekend. 

Roger Johnson was born on September 18, 1941 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. After grade school, he moved with his family to the lake Minnetonka area. He played youth and high school hockey for the Skippers and graduated from Augsburg College in 1964. He was prepared to go to Navy Officers Candidate School when he got a call from the Fergus Falls High School looking for a history teacher and hockey coach. He has been involved with Otter Hockey ever since!

Johnson taught American and World History in Fergus Falls for 34 years, until he retired in 1999. He was the head boys hockey coach from 1965-1972 and varsity assistant and junior varsity coach for the next 27 years. He is an active substitute teacher in all subjects and considers himself the volunteer general manager for the Fergus Fall Boys Hockey Team. He was a special correspondent for the Fergus Fall Daily Journal who took photos and wrote articles covering boys’ hockey for more than 20 seasons, and has handed out boys’ hockey equipment every fall for the last 50 years.

In March of 1992, Johnson was named the Minnesota’s Assistant Boys Hockey Coach of the Year and in 1998 he was recognized as the Section 4 Class A Assistant Coach of the Year after achieving his 300th victory. In May of 2013, he was inducted into the Fergus Falls High School Hall of Fame.

Like most hockey players growing up in Minnesota, Johnson dreamed of being in the Minnesota State High School Hockey Tournament during his high school career and came ever so close his senior year, falling one game short in playoffs. In February of 1997, his dream of reaching the state tournament finally came true. The Fergus Falls boys’ hockey team defeated Little Falls 3-0 for their first section title in school history. Little did they know, the team’s win would start a stretch of seven consecutive section titles and state tournament appearances from 1997-2003, and Johnson was able to join the team and help coach on most of their trips to St. Paul.

While his coaching days are now done, Johnson continues to stay involved with hockey in Fergus Falls. He volunteers as the equipment manager and can be seen regularly at the rink watching his three grandsons.

Johnson has instilled a passion for the game in countless Otters and has been a tireless ambassador for hockey in Fergus Falls for over 50 years. Thank you Roger for your continued dedication and tremendous service of hockey in Minnesota!