The head of the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame is fondly remembering former NHL player Greg Johnson.
Johnson, who was from Thunder Bay, passed away Monday at the age of 48.
The cause of death hasn’t been released.
Executive Director Diane Imrie says they were very saddened to hear of his passing.
Imrie points out he had amazing career and leaves behind a legacy.
“Starting with the Flyers, his amateur career was outstanding. I think he was, when he went on to [University North Dakota], the all-time leading scorer for that university team. [He won a] silver medal for Canada at the Olympics, and of course, his contributions in the National Hockey League.”
She adds Johnson had a remarkable career with the Detroit Red Wings and Nashville Predators.
He was the captain of the Nashville Predators from 2002 to 2006.
“He’s an example of how a player gets his development here as just a young player moving all the way up through the ranks,” Imrie notes. “And in his case, of course, the Johnson family is steeped in our hockey history, with his dad Jim Johnson having helped start the Thunder Bay Kings as well as the Lakehead University Thunderwolves.”
Johnson was inducted into the NWO Sports Hall of Fame in 2010.
