It has been an exciting spring for Elkhorn’s Parker Johnson.
Last Sunday he was drafted with the fifth pick of the second round of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League Draft by the Swan Valley Stampeders. Earlier this spring the son of Jamie and Tammy Johnson was taken in the 10th round of the Western Hockey League Bantam Draft by the Vancouver Giants. He plans to try out for the Yellowhead AAA Midget team this winter and develop his skills.
Stampeders head coach and general manager Erik Petersen looks forward to following Johnson’s development and hopes one day he will have a huge impact on the Stampeders.
“Our scouts have identified Parker as a hardworking, very solid two-way centreman with good hockey IQ, and a solid skill set,” Petersen wrote in an email interview. “We see him as a top player in the MJHL in the future.”
A 5-foot-10, 149-pound forward, Johnson had 31 goals and 55 points in 49 games last winter for the Yellowhead AAA Bantam squad. Craig Geekie coached Johnson at the bantam level two seasons ago and was impressed by the youngster’s approach to the game.
“Parker always impressed me last year with his work ethic,” Geekie wrote in an email interview. “Whether practice or a game, he always competed hard. He was always polite and a good kid to coach.”
