Johnson, 50, spent the past four seasons in the Los Angeles Kings organization, serving as assistant coach of the Ontario Reign, the club's primary development affiliate in the American Hockey League (2020-22), a professional scout (2020-21) and development coach (2018-20).
Johnson served as head coach of Santa Margarita Catholic High School in the Anaheim Ducks High School Hockey League (ADHSHL) from 2011-20, leading the team to three national titles in 2013, 2018 and 2019. In 2015 and 2017, the team was a finalist in the national championship game. Santa Margarita is California's only USA Hockey national varsity champion. He also led the program to four state titles and three ADHSHL Division 1 championships.
He served as director of coaching for the Anaheim Jr. Ducks at the AAA Junior level in 2013-14. Johnson spent one season as an assistant coach with the ECHL's Ontario Reign in 2010-11, and was as an assistant coach for Team USA at the 2015 Deutschland Cup.
Selected by the St. Louis Blues in the second round (33rd overall) of the 1990 NHL Draft, Johnson scored 75-98=173 points with 260 penalty minutes in 557 NHL games during a 10-year career with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (2003-04), Washington, Toronto, Los Angeles and St. Louis. He appeared in three seasons in Germany's Deutsche Eishockey Liga (2004-07) and one season with Salzburg of the ICE Hockey League, where he won a league championship. In three seasons at the University of Minnesota (1990-93), Johnson scored 135 points (54-81=135) in 119 NCAA games, earning WCHA All-Rookie Team honors in 1990-91 and helping the Golden Gophers to a WCHA championship in 1992-93.
The St. Paul, Minn. native represented Team USA at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer and World Championships in 1993, 1996 (bronze medal), 1999 and 2003. He also appeared at the 1991 World Junior Championship.
His son, Ryan, was selected by Buffalo in the first round (31st overall) of the 2019 NHL Draft, one of two ADHSHL players to be drafted in the first round (also Cam York, Philadelphia in 2019). Ryan helped Team USA to gold at the 2021 World Junior Championship, and the defenseman has spent the last three seasons at the University of Minnesota, helping the Golden Gophers to a Big Ten championship in 2021.
