Recent content from Randy Johnson
St. Cloud State men's hockey coach Larson gets 7-year contract extension
Frmer Minnesota Duluth assistant Brett Larson led the Huskies to their first NCAA Division I championship game in April. The extension runs through 2028.
Rockwall-Heath (Texas) running back commits to Gophers
Three-star recruit Zach Evans is the nation's 46th-rated running back in the recruiting Class of 2022, according to 247Sports' composite rankings of major recruiting services.
Robertson leaving WCHA to become commissioner of USHL
The longtime Twin Cities sports executive will take the reins of the Tier I junior league from Tom Garrity in July,
Salisbury trips St. Thomas, sweeps Division III baseball championship
The Tommies advanced to the best-of-three final series, but lost the first two games to the Maryland school in St. Thomas' final Division III competition.
St. Thomas hires Gophers assistant to be women's hockey coach
Joel Johnson has been Minnesota's women's team's associate head coach for the past 11 years and is serving as interim coach of the U.S. Women's National Team.
For North Stars, Game 7 had wins, losses and entertainment
The team appeared in seven Game 7s, going 3-4 but producing some interesting moments along the way.
Vegas coach, players say failed challenge was worth risk
The decision put the Wild on the power play, leading to its second goal. "It was a challenge that everyone felt we should take," one Vegas player said.
Fleck focusing on Ohio State, Gophers' opening opponent in 2021
The visit from the Buckeyes will mark the first time (in a non-pandemic season) that the Gophers will open at home in more than a quarter-century.
Golden Knights open their doors to a bigger crowd for Game 5 vs. Wild
Relaxed COVID-19 restrictions allowed for more than 11,000 to watch Vegas and Minnesota on Monday night.
From faceoffs to finishing, Wild power play isn't connecting
After going 0-for-2 in six minutes with the man advantage in Saturday's 4-0 Game 4 loss to Vegas, the Wild power play is 0-for-8 in the series, and coach Dean Evason is looking for answers.
Wild and Golden Knights see regular season records switch in playoffs
After winning the season series with Vegas, the Wild has witnessed a different story in the playoffs.
Nick Holden emerges as unsung hero in Golden Knights-Wild series
The Vegas defenseman had two assists Thursday night as his team rolled to a 5-2 victory.
Minnesota represented well on U.S. Women's National Team selection camp
The camp in Blaine from June 1-6 will be key in determining the roster for the U.S. in the 2022 Winter Olympic Games.
Playoff home cooking: Here are 10 Wild games to savor at the X
With postseason hockey back at Xcel Center on Thursday, here's our list of the Wild's most memorable home playoff games.
Dumba promises Wild will be 'different beast' at home
Wild defenseman Matt Dumba bristled at being labeled underdogs to the Golden Knights.
With Golden Knights looking for scoring, Tuch moved up
Former Wild draft pick Alex Tuch played on Vegas' top line in Game 1, bringing speed and energy.
Three keys to victory in Game 2 for Wild vs. Vegas
A series that immediately became intriguing resumes late Tuesday in Las Vegas, and the Wild can expect some pushback from the Golden Knights.
Even-keeled Joel Eriksson Ek gets excited about overtime winner
A scoreless game set the stage for the young center's most important goal.
Wild vs. Vegas: First-round playoff preview
The Wild won the regular-season series, but the stakes get raised as the teams prepare to open on the Strip.
Minnesotan Nick Bjugstad excited to play in first playoff game for Wild
He will be in the postseason with a third NHL team, after previously playing for Florida and Pittsburgh.
At long last, Wild enters playoffs with some hope
A solid regular season gave Minnesota the No. 3 seed and a first-round matchup with Vegas. So, what might make this postseason different for the Wild? Hint: He wears No. 97.
Gophers women's hockey will open against pair of Frozen Four teams
A visit from Ohio State and a trip to Minnesota Duluth are the early highlights of Minnesota's 2021-22 season.
Toby Gardenhire brings Saints into Twins future with 11-1 home debut loss
Gardenhire would have to settle for some energy but little fun, no victory and only two hits from his team from his team in its lopsided loss to the Iowa Cubs.
UMD, St. Cloud State on U men's hockey nonconference 2021-22 schedule
The remainder of the home schedule will be filled by Alaska, Mercyhurst and the six other Big Ten teams. The Mariucci Classic will not be played.
St. Cloud State opens season against D-I newcomer St. Thomas
The NCAA men's runner-up Huskies face the Tommies in a home-and-home series on Oct. 2-3 before meeting Minnesota State Mankato, the Gophers and Wisconsin later that month.
St. Thomas gets 'Hockey Day' slot vs. Mankato next season
The Tommies men will make their Division I debut in 2021-22, while the Mavericks are coming off their first Frozen Four appearance.
U softball hoping Senior Day victory helps case for NCAA tournament bid
Three homers in first two innings vs. No. 19 Michigan fueled a fitting senior send-off, as well as making a case for an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament.
Fighting mad teammates defend Kaprizov, who doesn't back down during brawl
The Wild took offense when Vegas players went after rookie standout Kirill Kaprizov in their last game. Coach Dean Evason liked how his team responded to the illegal hit.
Wild will have 4,500 fans at first round home playoff games
For the first round of the playoffs, the Wild plans to be at 25% capacity — approximately 4,500 fans. Wild season ticket-holders will have the chance to purchase tickets starting next week.
St. Thomas women's hockey will replace coach for move to Division I
Tom Palkowski coached the Tommies for 14 years and earned the 2019 Division III national women's hockey coach of the year award.
Gophers DT Schad enters transfer portal
Defensive lineman Keonte Schad played in 17 games over the past two seasons, making 21 tackles.
U's Bateman goes to Ravens, says he's ready to make immediate impact
Rashod Bateman is joining a team that was last in the NFL in passing yards per game last season and doesn't have a high-profile wide receiver.
NFL draft: Complete first-round pick-by-pick selections
Quarterbacks Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson and Trey Lance went with the first three selections. The Vikings traded down and took Virginia Tech OT Christian Darrisaw at No. 23; the U's Rashod Bateman went to Baltimore four picks later.
Gophers football looks forward to moving past tumult of 2020
The Gophers posted a 3-4 record and saw their offense take a step back from its record-setting 2019 ways. It all came during the coronavirus pandemic and amid the emotionally charged backdrop of the city of Minneapolis.
College hockey pushed through challenging season to a UMass title
Hockey East claims it's "State of Hockey," but Minnesota can make a strong rebuttal.
St. Cloud State's run ends with shutout loss in Frozen Four title game
UMass gave the Huskies no room to operate on the ice, dominating a 5-0 victory
Ex-Gopher Garrett Wait found right fit on line with UMass star
He had the overtime goal in a semifinal win over UMD.
St. Cloud State's daily focus worked well
Brett Larson and the Huskies navigated a season filled with challenges brought on by COVID-19.
Live from Pittsburgh: Frozen Four pregame
St. Cloud State and Massachusetts meet for the Division I men's championship. The Huskies lineup hasn't changed from the semifinals, while the Minutemen return two key players to their lineup.
Gophers' Jack LaFontaine wins Richter Award, given to nation's top goalie
LaFontaine, who went 22-7 this season, has announced that he will return to the Gophers next season.
Wisconsin's Cole Caufield wins Hobey Baker Award
The nation's leading goal scorer, Caufield has signed with the Montreal Canadiens.
Minnesota Duluth's overtime heartbreak halts an incredible ride
The Bulldogs delivered big moment after big moment in the postseason before getting clipped by Massachusetts on Thursday.
Live from Pittsburgh: Frozen Four Friday
St. Cloud State and Massachusetts are the last teams standings, and Randy Johnson provides updates leading into Saturday's NCAA championship game.
Ex-Gopher sinks UMD's three-peat hopes as UMass wins in overtime
The Bulldogs gave up a one-goal lead in the third period, and lost late in the first overtime when former Gophers player Garrett Wait scored for UMass.
Walker's last-minute goal caps rally; Huskies top Mavericks in semifinals
Nolan Walker redirected a shot from the point with 54 seconds remaining, sending St. Cloud State to its first NCAA title game.
Mavericks captain Zmolek take loss hard, sees better days ahead
Minnesota State Mankato won its first two NCAA Division I tournament games this season and a fourth WCHA regular-season title in a row.
Live from the Frozen Four: Thursday updates
St. Cloud State and Minnesota State Mankato start things off with the first semifinal at 4 p.m. (Central). In the 8 p.m. semifinal, Minnesota Duluth faces Massachusetts and will be without goalie Ryan Fanti.
You Betcha Brigade invades Frozen Four with three Minnesota teams
The semifinals start this afternoon with St. Cloud State vs. Minnesota State at 4 p.m., followed by UMD playing UMass.
Frozen Four: Four top players to watch
When Minnesota State Mankato meets St. Cloud State, and Minnesota Duluth takes on Massachusetts in the Frozen Four semifinals, there will be no shortage of star power.
Frozen Four preview: St. Cloud State vs. Minnesota State Mankato
The Huskies are playing in their second Frozen Four, making their debut in 2013 with a 4-1 semifinal loss to Quinnipiac. The Mavericks are playing in their first Frozen Four.
UMass coach calls having top scorer, goalie out only slight disadvantage
Coach Greg Carvel isn't about to concede anything to Minnesota Duluth in a rematch of the 2019 national championship game.
Frozen Four preview: Minnesota Duluth vs. Massachusetts
The Bulldogs are playing in their fourth consecutive Frozen Four and have won the past two, 2-1 over Notre Dame in 2018 and 3-0 over Massachusetts in 2019.
Live from Pittsburgh: Frozen Four media day
All four teams are practicing Wednesday for the first time since arriving in Pennsylvania on Monday, and virtual news conferences are following the drills. Randy Johnson will be updating throughout the afternoon.
Three in the Frozen Four: Minnesota schools celebrate their success
St. Cloud State, Minnesota State and UMD all qualified for this week's Frozen Four in Pittsburgh. It's a sense of shared accomplishment among the teams and their communities.
UMass without leading goal-scorer, top goalie vs UMD in Frozen Four
Carson Gicewicz and Filip Lindberg are among four Minutemen players who are out of Thursday's semifinal because of COVID-19 contact tracing protocols.
Gophers goalie crossing border, becoming a Badger
Sophomore Jared Moe, who played high school hockey for Holy Family, announced that he's transferring to Wisconsin.
Minnesota State Mankato's Hastings named national coach of the year
Mike Hastings won the Spencer Penrose Award after leading the Mavericks to their first NCAA Frozen Four berth.
From Upper Midwest to the Steel City, three state college hockey teams descend on Frozen Four
But UMass hopes to spoil the Minnesota party.
Gophers goalie LaFontaine announces he'll be back next season
Jack LaFontaine's decision solidified Minnesota's goaltending situation, as backup Jared Moe has entered the transfer portal.
Minnesota's three Frozen Four coaches go to school off each other
Mike Hastings, Scott Sandelin and Brett Larson are good friends chasing the same goal – the national title. Along the way, they haven't been hesitant to share knowledge.
Minnesota State goalie McKay among three Hobey Baker finalists
The goalie joins North Dakota forward Shane Pinto and Wisconsin forward Cole Caufield as finalists for the award that honors the top player in men's college hockey.
8 with Minnesota ties on U.S. women's world hockey championship roster
The team includes 14 members of the gold medal-winning 2018 Olympic team.
It's the State of Hockey in Frozen Four (minus Minnesota)
Three state teams will make Minnesota the dominant presence at the Frozen Four. But Bob Motzko's Gophers went from No. 1 region seed to a spot on the sidelines.
Not all was lost: Minnesota makes big impression on NCAA hockey
Here's a look at the impact of each of the five teams from Minnesota in the NCAA men's hockey tournament, which will feature three state teams in the Frozen Four.
MSU Mankato gives Gophers dose of own medicine, wins region title
The Mavericks played the Gophers' kind of game — grabbing an early lead and controlling the puck — to earn the program's first trip to the Frozen Four.
Hastings, Minnesota State Mankato finally reach Frozen Four
Shutout of Gophers comes a day after Mavericks finally get first NCAA victory.
UMD shows 'winning pedigree' with record-setting five-overtime victory
The Bulldogs advanced to their fourth consecutive Frozen Four when a little-used freshman scored in the longest game in NCAA tournament history.
Frozen Four berth at stake as close friends Motzko, Hastings face off
Bob Motzko's Gophers and Mike Hastings' Minnesota State Mankato team meet in the NCAA West Regional final on Sunday night in Loveland, Colo.
Gophers roll into regional final with 7-2 rout of Nebraska Omaha
The Gophers face MSU Mankato for a Frozen Four berth on Sunday.
MSU Mankato rallies from two goals down, beats Quinnipiac in OT
The Mavericks earned their first NCAA tournament victory in dramatic fashion.
Gophers-MSU Mankato regional final preview
One of these two Minnesota schools will be in the Frozen Four.
All five Minnesota men's teams in action Saturday in NCAA tournament
It begins Saturday with St. Cloud State playing at noon and ends with the Gophers starting at 9 p.m. In between, Bemidji State and Minnesota Duluth are playing for Frozen Four berths.
Motzko wants to join list of U coaches who have captured NCAA hockey titles
When Bob Motzko was introduced as Gophers men's hockey coach three years ago, he didn't shy away from the expectations that go hand-in-hand with the job.
NCAA West Regional preview: Gophers vs. Nebraska Omaha
The Gophers, the lone remaining Big Ten team in the field, face a battle-tested Mavericks team.
