from Austin Monteith of the Grand Forks Herald,
Player. Coach. Scouting director. General manager.
Marshall Johnston did it all.
And all while spending his summers and more along the shores of Lake Bemidji.
Johnston recently retired from a National Hockey League career that spanned nearly 50 years and culminated with an 11-year tenure as the Carolina Hurricanes’ director of pro scouting.
Johnston has lived in Bemidji for more than 40 years, summering in a cabin on Lake Bemidji before building a home where he and his wife, Barbara, have lived year-round since 2000.
A native of Birch Hills, Saskatchewan, Johnston took a liking to Bemidji after former Bemidji State head coach Bob Peters and U.S. Olympic coach Murray Williamson recruited him to work as an instructor at the Bemidji International Hockey Camp. The camp, which began in 1968, attracted future hockey stars from around the world.
Johnston had been a national champion at the University of Denver, where he played from 1959-63. Before turning pro, he was a member of the Canadian National Team at the 1964 and 1968 Winter Olympics, captaining Canada to the bronze medal in ‘68.
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