Through 73 games with the Avalanche this season, Johnson has totaled nine points (1G, 8A) and a plus-five rating.
Per the PHWA release
, "Going into the season, Johnson said that retirement isn't always a choice: Sometimes no one is willing to give you a shot. But the Avalanche signed Johnson to a professional tryout agreement, and the veteran defenseman clawed his way into a roster spot. The 35-year-old, who Pittsburgh bought out in 2020 and who missed most of last season with the Rangers due to injury, has played in more than 90 percent of the league-best Avalanche's games, reaching the career 1,000-game mark in March."
The Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy is an annual award under the trusteeship of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association and is given to the National Hockey League player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey. The winner is selected at the end of the regular season by a poll of all chapters of the PHWA.
The trophy is named in honor of the late Bill Masterton, a former player for the Minnesota North Stars, who passed away on Jan. 15, 1968 after sustaining an injury during a hockey game.
