Thomas Christian "The Baldur Basher" Johnson - Born February 18, 1928 in Baldur, Manitoba - Died November 21, 2007 in Falmouth, Massachusetts was a Canadian/American ice Hockey defenseman, scout, assistant general manager and coach.

- Stanley Cup Champion 1953, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1963 with Montreal Canadiens, 1970, 1972 with Boston Bruins (assistant general manager in 1970 and coach in 1972).

- Prince of Wales Trophy Champion 1956, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962 with Montreal Canadiens, 1970, 1972 with Boston Bruins (assistant general manager in 1970 and coach in 1972).

- James Norris Memorial Trophy Winner 1959 with Montreal Canadiens.

Born and raised in Baldur, a Icelandic immigrant community. He played all of his minor Hockey there until his family moved to St. Vital in 1946.

Johnson joined the Winnipeg junior Monarchs for the 1946-47 season (the year after the Monarchs won the Memorial Cup), and quickly was dubbed “the Baldur Basher” for his solid, aggressive play on the blueline. Johnson jumped to the Montreal Royals of the Quebec senior league. “It was the smartest career move I may have made,” he said. “I got a chance to practise at times in the Montreal Forum with the Canadiens, and played one NHL game with the parent team in that 1947-48 winter.”

The 1st year Johnson came to Montreal, general manager Frank Selke was unable to gain a transfer from the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association. The young blueliner spent a season playing with the Montreal Royals, taking a few classes at McGill University and spending valuable time around the Canadiens winning environment at the Forum. Johnson made his NHL debut with the Canadiens on March 21, 1948 vs Boston Bruins at Boston Garden in a 4-3 Bruins win.

Johnson played his 1st 2 pro seasons with the Buffalo Bisons of the AHL. In the minors he impressed coaches both with his enthusiasm from the bench and his work ethic on the ice. He also improved his skating, which had always been his one major drawback.

Johnson stepped into a starting role with the Canadiens in 1950-1951 season and impressed them with his eagerness and durability in playing all 70 regular-season games. He was, however, vulnerable to common rookie mistakes such as hasty decision-making and taking unwise penalties.

Johnson scored his 1st NHL goal vs Terry Sawchuk of Detroit Red Wings at 8:22 of 3rd period on December 3, 1950 at Detroit Olympia in a 4-1 Canadiens win. His goal was the game winner.

Johnson soon became a stalwart on the penalty-killing unit, where the team utilized his speed and his ability to win the majority of the battles in the corners. One of Johnson's patented moves was to steal the puck from an attacking forward without bodily contact. This allowed him to feed a pass to one of his teammates while the opposition was still heading toward the Montreal net. Although Johnson rarely saw power-play duty, coach Dick Irvin often switched him to centre if the Canadiens needed a goal late in the game.

Johnson won his 1st Stanley Cup ring in 1953 when the Canadiens defeated Boston. He later played a vital role on the Canadiens team that won the Stanley Cup an unprecedented 5 consecutive times from 1956 to 1960.

After apprenticing under the great Butch Bouchard, Johnson settled in with Jean Guy Talbot as his long time defensive partner. A slow-footed defenseman, Johnson was also known for his physical, sometimes dirty play. A hard hitter who would drop the gloves when needed. However he also had a nasty reputation for using his stick.

"Johnson's on my black list," explained Stan Mikita, a long time Black Hawk. "He liked to hit you from behind. When he got into a fight he never dropped his stick. Instead of using his fists, he used his stick for protection.

By the time the Canadiens began dominating the NHL, Johnson was beginning to receive his due credit. In 1956 he was selected to the NHL Second All-Star Team. 3 years later, he won the Norris Trophy and earned a spot on the First All-Star Team. That year he was arguably the most valuable player on the team as he stepped into the void created when Doug Harvey was injured. Johnson didn't have Harvey's speed but he was a superb stickhandler and a consistent, accurate passer who rarely erred in his own end of the rink.

"I was classified as a defensive defenceman. I stayed back and minded the store. With the high powered scoring teams I was with, I just had to get them the puck and let them do the rest," said Johnson, who wore #10 long before Guy Lafleur made it immortal.

Johnson remained a key veteran following the glory years. During the early 1960s, he often formed an effective partnership with young Jacques Laperrière. Johnson's fortunes took a turn for the worse in 1962-63 when he suffered a horrific facial injury that damaged his eye muscles to the point that his career was in jeopardy. In a difficult business decision, the Canadiens left him unprotected in the Waiver Draft since it was unclear whether he could fully recover his vision. Boston took a chance and claimed him, a decision that would quickly help improve their fortunes, which had sagged in recent years.

Johnson was an extremely durable player with Montreal and Boston. He likely would have played longer had he not suffered a serious leg injury in the 1964-65 season while playing with Boston. Chicago's Chico Maki's skate slashed a nerve in Johnson's left leg. The gash ended Johnson's playing career despite a feverish attempt at a comeback by Johnson.

Johnson played in 978 regular season NHL games, scoring 51 goals (10 GWG), 213 assists with 960 penalty minutes and 111 NHL playoff games, scoring 8 goals (2 GWG), 15 assists with 112 penalty minutes.

Johnson played in NHL All-Star Games 1952, 1953, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1963.

Johnson was selected to the 1959 NHL First All-Star Team.

After retiring, Johnson accepted a position in the Bruins front office as assistant to the president and general manager, where he helped Harry Sinden build a team that would eventually win the Stanley Cup in 1970 and 1972.

Johnson was the assistant general manager for the 1st of these championship teams and was the head coach of the 2nd.

Johnson was a member of the Bruins organization for more than 30 years.

Johnson was the coach of the East Division All-Stars at the 1973 NHL All-Star Game at Madison Square Garden. The East defeated the West All-Stars 5-4.

Tom Johnson was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1970.
The election was one of the most controversial in Hall of Fame history. It was a bit of a surprise to some, including Tom. Eddie Shore in particular was so outraged by Johnson's inclusion that Shore threatened to buy back his own induction. Shore didn't appreciate Johnson's questionable stick work or alleged cheap shots.

Thomas Christian "Tom" Johnson was inducted into the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame in 1970.

Tom "The Baldur Basher" Johnson was inducted into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame in 1993.