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2019-20 Staff: Goalie Coach Brent Johnson

By Staff, 03/04/19, 10:00AM EST

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The Little Caps are pleased to announce that Brent Johnson will be returning as Head Goalie Coach for the 2019-20 season.

A 12-year NHL veteran, Johnson is originally from Farmington, MI. He played junior hockey for Owen Sound in the OHL before being drafted by St. Louis in 1995.  He began his NHL career in St. Louis before moving to Phoenix and then the Washington Capitals, eventually finishing his NHL career with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2012.   He hails from a hockey-rich family; his father Bob Johnson also played goalie for the Pittsburgh Penguins, and his grandfather Sid Abel is a member of the NHL Hall of Fame.  In addition to coaching the Little Caps, Johnson covers the Washington Capitals providing analysis for Comcast Sports Network.

"Brent is a major asset for our club," says Hockey Director Matt Thomas. "Not only for his technical expertise in goaltending, but also his overall knowledge and perspective on the game. He's been a great resource for our entire staff."

Additionally, the Little Caps are pleased to announce that Travis Russel returns to the club as Goalie Coach.  Russell is a native Vermonter that grew up playing for the Essex Youth Hockey Association and then played at Essex High School. Travis played his senior year of high school at The Taft School in Watertown, Connecticut. He was selected to represent USA Hockey twice for the US Under-17 (2000) and US Under-18 (2001) Teams in the Five Nations Cup in Europe. Russell went on to play four years of Division I hockey at the University of Vermont.  He has coached with the Washington Little Capitals organization for the last five seasons.

"Travis has an energy and enthusiasm that's really contagious," says Thomas. "He does a great job of connecting with our younger players and motivating everyone around him."