USA Hockey will not replace late Jim Johannson as GM of men's team
USA Hockey is set to honor the late Jim Johannson by keeping him as the general manager of record for the men's Olympic hockey team following his untimely passing on Jan. 21.
USA Hockey executive director Pat Kelleher: Jim Johannson will not be replaced as GM of the 2018 Men's Olympic Team. He will always been known as this team's GM in official records. Ben Smith will be handling administrative duties in South Korea for Team USA.
— Chris Peters (@chrismpeters) January 31, 2018
"This is Jimmy's team from start to finish," said head coach Tony Granato, per Chris Peters of ESPN. "It is and always will be. The work he did to bring us all together, the confidence he's given us as coaches and us as players is what he was all about. We want to do what Jimmy wanted us to do and how he wanted us to do it."
The American squad will be led by former NHL players Brian Gionta - who will be team captain - and James Wisniewski.