Alice Laslo had a special reason to watch last week’s Calgary Flames, Buffalo Sabres game as her grandson was on the ice.
Alice comes from a hockey family, and jokes that she remembers listening to games on the radio. Her son Dan also played on the Drumheller Falcons and with the Miners.
Last Thursday, December 10, she was at the Saddledome to watch Chad Johnson, son of Karen Johnson (nee Laslo) back the Sabres in net.
“They didn’t win, but he played his first game at the Saddledome, that’s where he grew up,” said Alice.
Chad has been on a journey to the NHL that nearly brought him to Drumheller. Alice explains that he tried out for the Junior A Drumheller Dragons at the beginning of his junior carrer. He always played his hockey with his twin brother Curtis, and both were able to find a place on the Brooks Bandits Roster. His brother finished his junior career in Lloydminster and Chad earned a scholarship to the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
As a Nanook, he was named the Central Collegiate Hockey Association Player of the Year and was drafted to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Upon graduation, he was traded to the New York Rangers and began playing for their affiliate in the AHL. He made his NHL debut backing up Henrik Lundqvist versus the Philadelphia Flyers on December 30, 2009. He bounced around until he signed a one-year contract with the Boston Bruins in 2013. The next year he signed with the New York Islanders and in March of this year was traded to the Sabres.
This year he has played in 19 games with a 7-9-1 record and a 2.54 goals against average.
Alice enjoyed the game and also spent time with Chad and her daughter Karen in Calgary.
