Johnson had plenty of people dismiss him as too small for the NHL, but by age 24 he would make a huge impact in the League, being named to the All-Star Game and helping the Lightning reach the Stanley Cup Final.
The 5-foot-8, 185-pound forward went undrafted despite winning the Memorial Cup in 2008 with Spokane, his hometown team, and being named the Western Hockey League's playoff MVP, as well as earning a gold medal with the United States in the 2010 World Junior Championships.
Johnson had plenty of people dismiss him as too small for the NHL, but by age 24 he would make a huge impact in the League, being named to the All-Star Game and helping the Lightning reach the Stanley Cup Final.
The 5-foot-8, 185-pound forward went undrafted despite winning the Memorial Cup in 2008 with Spokane, his hometown team, and being named the Western Hockey League's playoff MVP, as well as earning a gold medal with the United States in the 2010 World Junior Championships.
Johnson eventually drew interest from NHL teams and signed with Tampa Bay. The center won the Calder Cup with Norfolk of the American Hockey League in 2011-12, his first professional season. The next season, he was named AHL MVP and earned his first call-up with the Lightning, appearing in 14 games for Tampa Bay (three goals, six points).
Johnson played all 82 games for the Lightning in 2013-14, setting a franchise rookie record with 24 goals and being named a finalist for the Calder Trophy (rookie of the year). He also made his first All-Star Game.
In 2014-15, Johnson had 29 goals and tied for the team lead with 72 points. He helped lead Tampa Bay to the Stanley Cup Final by scoring a League-high 13 playoff goals before being slowed by a fractured wrist sustained in Game 2 of the Final.
Johnson battled injuries in 2015-16 but had seven goals and 17 points in 17 playoff games, including his second career overtime goal in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final against Pittsburgh.
