Everybody loves their country, right? Well, Colorado Avalanche defenseman Erik Johnson is a real dyed in the wool (red, white and blue naturally) patriot. And now he’s back where he belongs — representing the United States in international competition.
This isn’t Johnson’s first Team USA rodeo — not by a long shot. He was trained in the US National Development Team Program starting with his junior year in high school. Indeed, he had to leave home for Michigan for that reason. In all, Johnson has appeared in eight international competitions for Team USA, earning five medals. Those medals include back to back gold in Under-18 competitions as well as a silver medal in the 2010 Olympics.