Johnson to sign with LA
As I said yesterday, Jack Johnson was going to leave college hockey and sign with LA.
Not only will the Wolverines lose seven seniors due to graduation, but I’ve heard from a close friend of his that Jack Johnson will be heading to LA now and could be there by March 27th.
Johnson is currently in LA negotiating the bonuses to his contract and will play on Tuesday for the Kings who have six remaining games. His dad told the Michigan Daily that Johnson will return to take classes in the spring term and has promised Wolverines’ head coach Red Berenson that he’ll get his degree from UM. Apparently, JJ had told Berenson of his decision a week ago.
“I thought I was ready for a new challenge,” Johnson said. “With all my close friends, the seniors, gone now and everything, I thought it was time for me to pretty much go for a new challenge.”
…
“I have no regrets about coming here, being a Wolverine,” Johnson said. “I’m still proud as hell to be one.”
James Mirtle has commented on the immediate impact Johnson will have for the Kings.
Johnson’s the early favourite for the Calder Trophy in 2008, regardless of where the Kings sit in the standings. He’s just a terrific player — one of the best young defencemen to join the league in years — and should make an immediate impact over the Kings’ final six games of the regular season.
Scout.com nicely summarizes his career as a Michigan Wolverine:
In his two seasons at Michigan, Johnson rewrote the record book for a Michigan blue liner. In his inaugural campaign under the winged helmet, Johnson tallied a stat line of 10-22-32 with a +11 rating.
His 16 goals as a sophomore set a new Michigan sophomore record, and, despite only using two years of eligibility, Johnson sits in 8th place on the Michigan defensemen goals list, just 14 goals behind Steve Richmond’s Michigan record.
Along with his 16 goals in 2006-07, Johnson also set a new career high in assists (23) and points (39), all the while more than doubling his plus/minus rating to +26 in his final season in Ann Arbor.
As a result of his efforts, Johnson was rewarded with the CCHA’s 2007 Offensive Defenseman of the Year Award as well as being named to the All-CCHA team as the conferences leading vote getter.
As a UM student, I am sad to see JJ go but I will definitely watch his progress in the NHL and try to attend some Wings-Kings games for sure. This clip is in honor of JMFJ.
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