SIOUX CITY, IOWA (KCAU)- The defending Clark Cup champion Sioux City Musketeers will enter the upcoming season without a key member of its franchise.

Sioux City Musketeers General Manager and Director of Scouting Andy Johnson has been signed by the Los Angeles Kings to become a scout for the NHL franchise, according to the Musketeers social media account. The reigning USHL General Manager of the Year was an instrumental of the Musketeers success, helping put together a championship-winning team this path.

The Eau Claire, Wisconsin native spoke on how he is excited for his next step. But, also is appreciative of his time in Siouxland with the Musketeers.

“I’ve been here for five years now and I think this community has grown on me. Living here, being entrenched in the community, making friends, seeing the same faces at our home games and then seeing those people traveling to Fargo and Waterloo and support this team through thick and thin has really made it special and for us to win a championship for them, for the community, and then see that the trophy out in the community this summer. It really kind of hit for how special this hockey team is in the community and leaving that is extremely hard. But at the same time, I’m excited for my future and my career and just really hard to turn down the turn down the National Hockey League,” Johnson said.