John Harrington

At 67 years old, John Harrington has this physical status:

Playing career

Harrington, a standout high school hockey player for Virginia High School in Minnesota's hockey-rich Iron Range, was a standout high school hockey player under head coach Dave Hendrickson. During Harrington's senior season at Virginia, University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD) assistant head coach Mike Sertich encouraged Harrington to try out for the hockey team. Harrington earned a walk-on spot on UMD's roster, with Sertich's help. He served at UMD from 1975 to 1979.

Harrington was invited to compete for the 1979–80 US National team coached by Minnesota Golden Gophers' Herb Brooks after his college career. Harrington made every cut and was placed on the Olympic roster for the 1980 Lake Placid games. In the first game of the Medal Round in an event dubbed the "Miracle on Ice," the team defeated the highly favored Soviet Union 4–3. The team defeated Finland 4–2 two days later to win the Gold Medal for the United States. Mike Eruzione's go-ahead game-winning goal against the USSR is recognized by Harrington.

Following the Olympics, Harrington, who was undrafted by the NHL, had a try-out with the Buffalo Sabres. Despite being a marked man, the Sabres immediately referred him to the Rochester Americans of the AHL, where he scored seven points in twelve games. "Some Canadian-born children are resentful" that the Americans did so well in the Olympics, and they're a little jealous of them," Buffalo defenseman Larry Playfair said. Harrington was struck in the chest and needed six stitches to close a bloody gash on his chin in one game. Lou Franceschetti came from behind and knocked unconscious for five minutes, leaving Harrington lying in a pool of blood on the ice in another game against the Hershey Bears. He had to stay in a hospital with a concussion, fractured jaw, cracked nose, and four loosened teeth. Franceshetti was not disciplined because it was a "clean" check, according to the author. "My shoulder just connected with the back of his neck." "How did I get it in the back of my head after it was a clean sweep?" Harrington asked. "I was trapped in my hospital bed with all sorts of mixed emotions, particularly when my teeth ached and my heart throbbed." I kept thinking of the less competitive sport in Europe, that I may have travelled to Switzerland to play hockey. Something like this can't help but discourage you. But this is the way it is in the pros, and I'll make it one way or another... even though I have to face a few goofballs."

Harrington played in Lugano in 1980-81 before returning to the United States to compete with the US National Team from 1981-83 on a full-time basis. He competed with the United States team in the 1981, 1982, and 1983 Ice Hockey World Championship Tournaments. Harrington returned to the national hockey team for the 1984 Winter Olympics after brief stints in the Central Hockey League.

Coaching career

Harrington retired from playing and resurfaced his college roots as an assistant coach under former Montreal Canadiens star Ralph Backstrom at the University of Denver in 1984. Harrington's time in Denver was 1985-86, when the city defeated a school record 34 games and advanced to the NCAA Frozen Four. In 1990, Harrington returned to Minnesota as an assistant coach for St. John Paul. Cloud State University is located in Cloud State University.

Harrington, a head hockey coach at Saint John's University in Collegeville, Minnesota, from 1993-2008. Harrington's listless service ended at Saint John's. He had led SJU to a school-record 26-6-1 record in his fourth season as the school's first conference championship since 1950, the school's first NCAA tournament berth, and an NCAA third-place victory. He has a career record of 241-142-31 (.620). He has won five MIAC titles, four MIAC playoff championships, and has been to the NCAA tournament five times. Harrington is the school's most notable in terms of career wins. Harrington served as the assistant athletic director at Saint John's in addition to his teaching duties.

On March 31, 2008, Harrington will step down as head coach at Saint John's to become head coach for HC Ambri-Piotta of the Swiss National League, but his brief association lasted only until December 16. On January 19, 2009, Harrington agreed to work as head coach for Slovenia's national ice hockey team, a position he held until December 12, 2010, when he was replaced by Matja Kopitar. On May 11, 2009, Harrington signed a deal with HC Asiago, where he served as the head coach until 2011.

Harrington was named head coach of the Minnesota State Mavericks women's ice hockey of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association in May 2015 after four years as an amateur scout for the NHL's Colorado Avalanche.

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