The University of St. Thomas has launched an investigation into allegations of an incident that occurred following the team's game last Friday, and resulted in the resignation of head coach Joel Johnson.
The University of St. Thomas has launched an investigation into allegations of an incident that occurred following the team's game last Friday, and resulted in the resignation of head coach Joel Johnson.
St. Thomas' women's hockey team lost to Bemidji State 4-1 on Friday, November 15 in NCAA action. Following the game, what occurred in the University of St. Thomas Tommies locker room has become a point of contention among players, and the University.
Following the game, an alleged incident occurred involving now former head coach Joel Johnson. Johnson did not return to the bench Saturday for St. Thomas' rematch against Bemidji, and subsequently tendered his resignation on Tuesday. The school also launched an immediate investigation into the event that followed Friday's game resulting in Johnson and the St. Thomas women's hockey program parting ways.
After reaching out to the school for comment, University of St. Thomas Athletics Director Phil Esten provided The Hockey News with the following statement.
“While I cannot comment on the specifics of the incident itself, I can confirm we immediately started an investigation after concerns were brought to our attention following Friday night’s game," Esten wrote. "Coach Johnson did not coach the team on Saturday night and resigned on Tuesday. We hold all our coaches to the highest standards consistent with university values and convictions, and prioritize the experience and well-being of our student-athletes.”
Johnson was immediately replaced by Bethany Brausen, who was previously the team's assistant coach, and will now serve as interim head coach.
Johnson, 50, was the head coach for Team USA at the 2022 Olympics winning silver, and also served as head coach for USA's World Championship roster in 2021. He'd served as head coach at St. Thomas since the 2021-2022 season after spending the previous 11 seasons at the University of Minnesota.
St. Thomas currently holds a 5-8-1 record overall, and are 2-7-1 in the WCHA this season.
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