Konnie Johannesson

Biographical information

RolesCompeted in Olympic Games
SexMale
Full nameKonrad Jonasson "Konnie"•Johannesson
Used nameKonnie•Johannesson
Born10 August 1896 in Glenboro, Manitoba (CAN)
Died28 October 1968 in Winnipeg, Manitoba (CAN)
Measurements179 cm / 75 kg
AffiliationsWinnipeg Falcons, Winnipeg (CAN)
NOC Canada
Medals OG
Gold 1
Silver 0
Bronze 0
Total 1

Biography

Canadian Konnie Johannesson left the University of Manitoba while pursuing an engineering degree and joined the Winnipeg 223rd Battalion in hopes of making it to London to enlist with the Royal Flying Corps. He trained and served in Egypt during World War I prior to joining the Winnipeg GTP of the city’s junior hockey league during the 1918-1919 season. When he advanced to the Manitoba Hockey League’s senior division the following year, he suited up with the Winnipeg Falcons and captured the league’s championship trophy, the Allan Cup. This victory allowed the squad to represent Canada at the 1920 Summer Olympic ice hockey tournament, where Johannesson skated defense, scored two goals, and helped bring home the gold medal. During the journey to Antwerp, he and Frank Fredrickson teamed up with another passenger to form a musical trio that held concerts aboard the ship. Johannesson remained with the Falcons until 1924, when he spent one season with the Selkirk Fishermen. From then until his 1929 retirement he skated with several different teams across multiple leagues, never achieving the same success he enjoyed during his earlier days.

Although Johannesson did spend one season (1933-1934) as the head coach of the Falcons, his true passion was flying, a love that was fostered in childhood and became a lifelong pursuit following the conclusion of his athletic career. In addition to serving as a Master Flying Instructor of the British Empire, he was a charter member of the Winnipeg Flying Club and helped define the nature of the Canadian federal government’s jurisdiction over aeronautics. In 1949 Johannesson bought land in Manitoba in order to build a landing strip, but was blocked by newly-enacted neighborhood laws that restricted the building of aerodromes. In the 1952 Supreme Court of Canada case Johannesson v. Rural Municipality West St. Paul, it was decided that aeronautics fell within the exclusive domain of the federal government, and that the pursuit of the development of aeronauts trumped local interests and concerns. Johannesson built his landing strip and maintained it until his death in 1968, at which point it was sold and turned into a housing development.

Results

Games Discipline (Sport) / Event NOC / Team Pos Medal As
1920 Summer Olympics Ice Hockey (Ice Hockey) CAN Konnie Johannesson
Ice Hockey, Men (Olympic) Canada 1 Gold

Olympic family relations

Special Notes