Goatheads GM Johnson: 'We know what it's going to take'

RIO RANCHO — Great moments are born from great opportunity.

This is not a reference to Herb Brooks and the 1980 U.S. hockey team this time around, but instead the position the New Mexico Goatheads find themselves in after a successful brand unveiling.

“The interest and the support has been incredible,” Goatheads General Manager Jared Johnson said. “So far, we’ve been absolutely blown away. Nobody really knew what to expect, but we were absolutely blown away by the turnout tonight.”

Monday night’s event at Rio Rancho Events Center was met with loud cheers and long lines for merchandise, but now with a name to rally behind, the real work begins for Johnson and Co.

“I think our next big thing will be our select-a-seat event for our season ticket deposits,” Johnson said. “Over 600 deposits so far. That’s going to absolutely balloon over tonight and the next few days. We have something pretty special to go along with that weekend that we will announce soon, and then shortly thereafter, it’ll be jerseys, mascots and NHL/AHL affiliation.”

Despite the Goathead name aiming to capture the essence of the New Mexico area, this is a front office staff that has little experience in the Land of Enchantment. Out of Johnson and the other four directors and managers in charge, only one member has a background in-state.

While this may worry some, Johnson looks at it as a strength, as the Goathead staff brings in experience from all over the country.

“It’s been tough, but it’s been fun,” Johnson said. “We put together an absolute all-star team here. Lucas, who’s our director of marketing, came out here from Huntsville, Alabama, with me. Our director of operations (Colleen McCue), we are familiar with her through our past league. Our two sales guys that we’ve gotten have been incredible, and we’re continuing to add people, and that’s just made it so much easier. Because, you know, that’s taken a lot of the weight off our shoulders, being able to trust these guys and to do what they do best.”

Johnson is coming off four years with the Huntsville Havoc, a member of the Southern Professional Hockey League, as their vice president of ticket sales. Adding up the experience of the staff, they bring a combined 10-plus seasons in professional hockey and even more years in sports as a whole.

With an experienced crew and the leadership of REV Entertainment as their owner and operator, Johnson feels as if the franchise is ready to do what Goatheads are known for: stick.

“I think the main thing is ownership. Our ownership is incredible,” Johnson said. “Sean (Decker) is the president of the ownership group, and we’ve got some other minority partners, and they’ve been nothing but supportive, giving us everything we need to succeed. We know what it’s going to take. The basic stats say it’s going to work. I mean, when the Scorpions were here, they did about 3,000 fans a game, and Rio Rancho was half the size that it is now. So we’re fully confident. We have a year to build it up and can’t wait to get there.”