Early Life
Johnson was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba on December 7, 1898. He was an accomplished football and lacrosse player in his youth. He joined the Canadian Expeditionary Force in 1916 and fought for three years in the trenches of France as part of a mortar outfit. Johnson returned to Winnipeg following the war and worked for an electric light company. He first played competitive hockey in 1919 when he joined the Winnipeg Monarchs of the Winnipeg Senior Hockey League. He played two seasons with the Monarchs before moving to Eveleth, Minnesota where he joined the local team to play three seasons in the United States Amateur Hockey Association (USAHA). He then played three seasons in Minneapolis, concluding in 1925–26 with the Minneapolis Millers. He was named a league all-star on defence in both 1924 and 1926.
First nicknamed "Ivan the Terrible", Johnson later earned the nickname "Ching" when fans of the defencemen would shout "Ching, Ching Chinaman" to support him. Though he was of Irish descent, he was called "Chinaman", then "Chink" and finally "Ching" as he was considered to have an Asian looking face. His physical style of defence made him immensely popular with fans, and he was often seen with a wide grin any time made or received contact during a game.
Read more about this topic: Ivan Wilfred Johnson
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