Johnson spent one full season with the Lightning, scoring 21 points in 2000–01. On July 10, 2001, he was traded back to the Panthers with a sixth-round draft pick (later traded back to Tampa Bay) in 2003 in exchange for Václav Prospal.[2] However, he missed the majority of his first season back in Florida from a head injury suffered on December 22, 2001, against the St. Louis Blues.[2]
St. Louis Blues (2003–2008)
Johnson blocks a shot by Los Angeles Kings defenceman Lubomir Visnovsky in December 2006.
Playing his first season in Vancouver, Johnson broke a finger on his right hand while blocking a shot in November against the Minnesota Wild. He played with the injury for two games before being pulled from the lineup. It was then revealed that Johnson had also suffered a broken bone in his left foot in the third game of the season, which he had played through for six weeks.[4] After missing 20 games, Johnson returned to the lineup on January 9, 2009, despite still feeling considerable pain in his fractured finger.[5] After completing his first season in Vancouver with 2 goals and 9 points in 62 games, it was revealed that off-season surgery was required for the injured finger.[6]
Nearly a month into the 2009–10 season, Johnson was involved in a head-first collision into the end boards in a game against the Detroit Red Wings on October 27, 2009. After chipping the puck into the offensive zone, Johnson lost his balance trying to skate around Detroit defenceman Nicklas Lidström and slid heavily into the boards with his shoulder and neck. He was taken off the ice in a stretcher after laying motionless on the ice for several moments.[7] After missing five games with a concussion, he was later sidelined for 12 games in January 2010 with a broken foot.[8] He played through lingering injuries on both feet until suffering another broken foot while blocking a shot in early April,[9] limiting him to 58 games.
Chicago Blackhawks (2010–2011)
After not receiving a contract extension from the Canucks, Johnson became an unrestricted free agent. Unsigned to start the 2010–11 season, he was given a professional tryout with the Chicago Blackhawks' AHL affiliate, the Rockford Icehogs, in December 2010. He played one game for the Icehogs before signing a one-year deal with the Blackhawks.[10] Immediately recalled after the deal, Johnson played his first game with the Blackhawks in a 4–1 win over the Detroit Red Wings on December 17, 2010.[11] He played 34 games for the Blackhawks in 2010–11 with one goal, five assists and six points while playing on the Hawks' fourth line with Tomáš Kopecký and Viktor Stålberg. Johnson scored one goal and four assists for five points in six playoff games in the Blackhawks first round exit in seven games to Johnson's former team, the Presidents' Trophy-winning Vancouver Canucks.
Personal life
Johnson was born to Jim and Judy Johnson in Thunder Bay, Ontario, on June 14, 1976.[12] He has a sister, Sarah,[12] and two older brothers: Greg, who played with the Detroit Red Wings, Pittsburgh Penguins, Chicago Blackhawks, and Nashville Predators; and Corey. After his father lost a battle with cancer on June 7, 2008, at age 63, Johnson completed a 42.2-kilometre marathon the following year on June 20, 2009, in Duluth, Minnesota, as a tribute.[12] He finished the run in just under four hours at three hours, 59 minutes and 52 seconds.[12]
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