Greg Johnson

Gregory James Johnson (March 16, 1971 – July 7, 2019) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player in the National Hockey League with the Detroit Red Wings, Pittsburgh Penguins, Chicago Blackhawks, and Nashville Predators.

In over 700 career NHL games, Johnson earned 350 points from 134 goals and 216 assists. His best season was in 1998–99 where he achieved 16 goals and 34 assists.

Playing career

Amateur Born in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Johnson recorded 96 points in 47 games for the local Thunder Bay Flyers of the USHL in 1988–89.

Johnson played four years at the University of North Dakota where he led the WCHA in assists twice and was placed on the conference First All-Star Team three straight years from 1991 to 1993. He was also placed on the NCAA West First All-American Team in 1991 and 1993 and the Second Team in 1992.

Professional Johnson was drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers as the 33rd pick in the second round of the 1989 NHL entry draft, but never played for the organization. On June 20, 1993, he was traded from the Flyers with future considerations to the Detroit Red Wings for Jim Cummins and a fourth round pick in the 1993 NHL entry draft. Red Wings head coach and general manager Bryan Murray specifically targeted Johnson as a skilled center whom the Wings could develop.

Johnson spent parts of four seasons with the Red Wings from 1993 to 1997. On January 27, 1997, Johnson was traded by the Red Wings to the Pittsburgh Penguins for winger Tomas Sandstrom. The Wings, who were looking to add a more physical element and had depth down the middle, traded from a position of strength by sending the skilled center for the rugged veteran forward. The move paid off for the Wings, as they went on to win the 1996-97 Stanley Cup.

Johnson played the rest of the 1996–97 season and part of the 1997–98 season with the Penguins before being traded to the Blackhawks for Tuomas Gronman on October 22, 1997.

Johnson was the 23rd pick of the 1998 NHL Expansion Draft by the Predators from the Blackhawks. He would go on to spend the final seven years of his career with the team. Johnson was the second captain in Nashville Predators history, and served in that capacity from 2002 until 2006. He had previously served as an alternate captain from 1999 to 2002.

Johnson became part of an anomaly during the 2005–06 season when he was credited with scoring a goal before the start of a game against the Detroit Red Wings. On November 21, 2005, he scored a goal during the first period of a game that was eventually postponed after Red Wings defender Jiri Fischer suffered a cardiac arrest. The game was replayed on January 23, 2006, and, while the full game was replayed, Johnson's goal was allowed to stand, thus giving Nashville a 1–0 lead before the opening faceoff.

On August 14, 2006, Johnson signed a one-year contract to rejoin his former team, the Detroit Red Wings. In September 2006, during a routine preseason physical, an EKG test returned abnormal results. Johnson had further testing, and eventually decided to retire before training camp.

On July 7, 2019, Johnson's wife Kristin found him dead in the basement of their Detroit home. No cause of death has been given, but police reports concluded that it was suicide by firearm. Johnson was 48 and survived by his wife and their two daughters.

On July 10, 2024, five years after his death, it was announced Johnson was posthumously diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).

Career statistics Regular season and playoffs Regular season Playoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 1988–89 Thunder Bay Flyers USHL 47326496412513180 1989–90 University of North Dakota WCHA 4417385511 — — — — — 1990–91 University of North Dakota WCHA 381861796 — — — — — 1991–92 University of North Dakota WCHA 392054748 — — — — — 1992–93 University of North Dakota WCHA 3419456418 — — — — — 1992–93 Canada Intl 23614202 — — — — — 1993–94 Canada Intl 1429114 — — — — — 1993–94 Adirondack Red Wings AHL 3246040442 1993–94 Detroit Red Wings NHL 52611172272242 1994–95 Detroit Red Wings NHL 223581410000 1995–96 Detroit Red Wings NHL 6018224030133148 1996–97 Detroit Red Wings NHL 436101612 — — — — — 1996–97 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 3279161451012 1997–98 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 51012 — — — — — 1997–98 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 6911223338 — — — — — 1998–99 Nashville Predators NHL 6816345024 — — — — — 1999–2000 Nashville Predators NHL 8211334440 — — — — — 2000–01 Nashville Predators NHL 8215173246 — — — — — 2001–02 Nashville Predators NHL 8218264438 — — — — — 2002–03 Nashville Predators NHL 38891722 — — — — — 2003–04 Nashville Predators NHL 821418323361230 2005–06 Nashville Predators NHL 68118191050112 NHL totals 785 145 224 369 345 37 7 6 13 14

International Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM 1991 Canada WJC 7 4 2 6 0 1993 Canada WC 4th 8 1 2 3 2 1994 Canada OG 8 0 3 3 0 Junior totals 7 4 2 6 0 Senior totals 16 1 5 6 2

Awards and honours Award Year USHL Forward of the Year 1989 Clark Cup (Thunder Bay Flyers) 1989 College WCHA All-Tournament Team 1990, 1991 All-WCHA First Team 1990–91 AHCA West First-Team All-American 1990–91 All-WCHA First Team 1991–92 AHCA West Second-Team All-American 1991–92 All-WCHA First Team 1992–93 AHCA West First-Team All-American 1992–93