Vitals:Position: Forward
Year in School: Sophomore
Shoots Left
Height: 5-9
Weight: 155
Hometown: Madison, WI
Previous Team: Lincoln Stars (USHL) in 06/07
NHL Considerations: 7th Round pick (2008) of the Montreal Canadiens
07/08 Stats: 40 games, 8-13-21, +8, 36 PIM
06/07 Stats: 47 games, 11-16-27, -11, 50 PIM
08/09 Role: 1st or 2nd EV Line, PK and PP time for sure
07/08 Recap: In case you missed it, Patrick is the son of Badger great Mark Johnson and his grandfather is none other than the legendary "Badger" Bob Johnson. Patrick had huge shoes to step into as a freshman, and preformed admiralbly all year. Patrick is certainly not the scorer his father was, though he isn't so bad at it either, but he definately developed his own niche as a Badger and instantly became a fan favorite. What Patrick lacks in size he makes up w/ heart and hard work. He gave it his all every shift, and didn't have a problem going toe to toe w/ any of the big goons in the WCHA. My favorite memory of Patrick from his freshman season was his "owning" of North Dakota goon Joe Finley. To top off a successful freshman campaign, Patrick was a surprise pick (he wasn't even ranked by NHL Central Scouting) in June's draft going late to Montreal.
08/09 Thoughts: Patrick should do a lot of the same this season, working hard to make the most of his ice time. As wojo commented in Davies' preview, I have to wonder how the departure of Kyle Turris will affect Patrick from a scoring standpoint. Patrick isn't afraid to stand in front of the net and take a beating, so he should continue to record points in that fashion. It will be interesting to see how Patrick's game grows on offense. Though he won't be wearing a captain's letter, Patrick is still one of the most vocal players on the team, and I wouldn't be surprised to see Patrick wear the captain's C during his upperclassmen years. Joe Finley and other SOBs like Patrick Wiercioch better get their diapers ready, because Ratty is going to make you wish you never left the locker room.
Prediction: 36 games, 7-12-19
Photo from uwbaders.com
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