John Laursen

John (Johnny) Laursen (born January 28, 1988) is an American Iraq and Afghanistan veteran, and ice hockey goaltender for the USA Warriors.

Personal
Born in Staten Island, NY, Laursen is the son of a Port Authority (NY/NJ) Police Officer. Laursen grew up in Brick, NJ and as a child, idolized the New York Rangers' goaltender John Vanbiesbrouck. He played youth hockey with the Brick Hockey Club. He graduated from Brick Township High School in Brick, NJ, in 2006, then went on to graduate from the CSB School of Broadcasting in Orlando, FL, in February 2008

Military
In October 2008, Laursen enlisted in the United States Army. He graduated Basic Combat Training at Fort Knox, KY, and attended Advanced Individual Training (AIT) in Fort Leonard Wood, MO. Upon graduating AIT he was awarded the military occupational specialty of Motor Transport Operator (88M) and was assigned to the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, NY. With the 10th Mountain Division he deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation New Dawn between 2009 and 2010. In 2010, Laursen took part in a joint humanitarian aid mission with the 1st Bn., 25th Bde., 17th Iraqi Army Div. in several villages just north of Baghdad providing food, water and medical supplies. On Veteran's Day Weekend, 2012, Laursen traveled to Staten Island, NY to assist in to clearing debris from Hurricane Sandy, using personal leave to volunteer along with several other members of the 10th Mountain Division. In 2013, Laursen deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Laursen had been deployed to Afghanistan for four months before his emergency evacuation from theater. After his evacuation from combat, back in the United States at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, doctors searched for a diagnosis to his mysterious condition. Laursen would learn he had eosinophilic esophagitis, known as EoE, a chronic inflammatory disease of the esophagus. He was retired from the United States Army in March 2014.

Youth Hockey
Laursen has played hockey since age 2. Laursen played youth hockey with the Brick Hockey Club and high school hockey with Brick High School in Brick, NJ

Fort Drum Mountaineers
While stationed at Fort Drum, Laursen served as Captain of the Fort Drum Mountaineers. While playing with the Mountaineers, Laursen took part in several exhibitions with both professional and military teams to include the Albany Devils Staff and the 1000 Island Privateers of the Federal Hockey League. In 2012, The Fort Drum Mountaineers traveled to Canada to play the Royal Military College of Canada’s (RMC) hockey team in Kingston, ON. Maj. Gen. Mark A. Milley, the then Fort Drum and 10th Mountain Division (LI) commander, also played for the team during the game. RMC defeated the Mountaineers by a score of 8-7.

USA Warriors
Laursen began playing with the USA Warriors in 2013, and continues to serve as the goalie for the standing team wearing #1. The team serves invaluable roles—support group, social network, and as a connection to their lives in the military—for its players. Since 2013, Laursen has taken part in many events and games with the Warriors to include tournaments, exhibitions against teams such as the University of Maryland Terps, the Naval Academy Midshipmen and league games in the Public Service Hockey League. Laursen has also taken the ice as the USA Warriors goalie during annual events with the USA Warriors and the Chicago Blackhawks during both the 2015 NHL Winter Classic and NHL Stadium Series in 2014 and 2016. While on the USA Warriors, Laursen has made several appearances at the Verizon Center during Washington Capitals games and has been featured on CSN Mid-Atlantic several times

Laursen has been involved with linking the USA Warriors with children with special needs. Over the past three years, Laursen has brought the USA Warriors to Brick, NJ to take part in a fundraiser for the Brick Stars Special Hockey team in their Challenger Winter Classic's which take place outdoors at Avon Pond in Avon-by-the-Sea, NJ. In October 2015, Laursen organized the Columbus Day Classic, a charity hockey game between the USA Warriors and Aberdeen Proving Ground JTF-Blast which raised more than $9,000 for the St. Elizabeth School, non-public Special needs school in Baltimore. In October 2016, Laursen again organized this event, having the USA Warriors face off against the Baltimore City Fire Department raising more than $10,000 for both the USA Warriors Ice Hockey Program and the St. Elizabeth School. Laursen has adding to his list of charitable endeavors by shaving his head to raise funds and awareness for childhood cancer research through the St. Baldrick’s Foundation in 2016 and has again agreed to participate in 2017.

Social Media
Laursen, who uses the @WarriorsLaursen on his accounts, is very active on social media and has been quoted on the national level several times for comments made on social media. Most notably, in November 2016, Laursen created Tweet with a photograph of Chicago Blackhawks Forward Jonathan Toews and Washington Capitals Forward T.J. Oshie together while in college at the University of North Dakota. This picture was used on outlets with Laursen's quote on both U.S. and Canadian media outlets. While it is unknown how Laursen obtained the photo, it is important to note that Laursen and the USA Warriors do have a close relationship with both the Chicago Blackhawks and Washington Capitals.

In December 2016, Laursen created a Tweet about the retirement of NHL defenceman/winger John Scott which was featured on Twitter Moments. The Tweet simply said ,"10 years, 286 games, 5 goals, 6 assists, 44 fights, 544 penalty minutes. Today we lose a legend. Ride off into the sunset, @johnscott_32." It included a picture of Scott from the NHL All Star Game.