Former Axemen named Head Coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins

Mike Johnston has been named the new coach of the Penguins

Darmouth native and former Acadia Axemen player, Mike Johnston has been named head coach of the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins today.

The Penguins have been without a coach since firing Dan Bylsma on June 6.

Johnston has been the coach of the Portland Winterhawks of the Western Hockey League since early in the 2008-09 season. In his first full season he led the Winterhawks to the biggest turnaround in team history in 2009-10, improving the team by 48 points.

Prior to coaching Portland, Johnston served as an associate coach in the NHL for the Vancouver Canucks (1999-2006) and Los Angeles Kings (2006-08).

Mike attended Acadia University in the late 1970’s, where he graduated with a bachelor of physical education, and starred for the Axemen hockey team; he was named to Acadia’s Hockey Honor Roll in 2008.

He played hockey for the Brandon University and Acadia University and then became a coach at the age of 23. He at first coached Camrose College in Alberta and then was an assistant coach at the University of Calgary. In 1989 he took over as head coach at the University of New Brunswick, a job that lasted until 1994.

In 1994 he became general manager and associate coach of the Canadian national men’s hockey team. In 1998 he became the head coach for one season.

Besides all this, Johnston has extensive experience in international play. He won the gold medal at the 1997 and the 2007 World Championships. He also won the silver in 1996 and the bronze in 1995. In 1994 and 1995 Johnston won the gold at the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.