Former Predators captain Greg Johnson dies at 48

Greg Johnson, a former captain and an original member of the Nashville Predators, has passed away at the age of 48.

A daily newspaper from Johnson’s hometown of Thunder Bay, Ont., The Chronicle-Journal, tweeted out the news on Tuesday morning, and NHL.com has since confirmed the report. Kevin Allen of USA TODAY reports that Johnson died at his home in Detroit on Monday.

No cause of death has been released.

Johnson was selected in the second round of the 1989 NHL Entry Draft by the Philadelphia Flyers, and he made his NHL debut with the Detroit Red Wings during the 1993-94 season.

Following time with the Red Wings, Pittsburgh Penguins and Chicago Blackhawks, he was acquired by the Predators in the 1998 NHL Expansion Draft. Johnson went on to serve as the team’s captain from 2002 until he retired from the NHL in 2006.

He had the ‘C’ on his chest when Nashville advanced to its first NHL postseason in 2004.

Johnson signed a one-year deal with the Red Wings ahead of the 2006-07 season, but a preseason physical revealed abnormal EKG result, according to Arthur Weinstein of Sporting News. The news ended his professional career.

In his 822 regular season and playoff games, he totalled 152 goals and 382 points.

Johnson is currently the University of North Dakota’s all-time leading scorer, according to the Grand Forks Herald. The three-time Hobey Baker Award finalist collected 74 goals and a program-record 272 points in his four seasons with the team.

Before breaking into the NHL, Johnson was a member of the Canadian men’s Olympic hockey team that won a silver medal at the 1994 Winter Games in Lillehammer.

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