PORT HAWKESBURY: A former National Hockey League (NHL) player, who is from Port Hawkesbury and was inducted into the Civic Centre’s Wall of Fame in 2009, was once again honoured by the town he grew up in.
On July 21, the Town of Port Hawkesbury unveiled a banner paying tribute to Aaron Johnson.
“As the Great One said, ‘Everything I have in my life is because of the game of hockey,’ and I couldn’t agree more,” Johnson said. “All I can hope is that one day a kid will walk past this and think ‘He made it to the NHL, why can’t I?’”
Johnson who is a former professional ice hockey defenceman last played under contract with the Sheffield Steelers in the Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL) and currently works as a team relations specialist for the Columbus Blue Jackets.
He was a third-round selection for Columbus, 85th overall in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft.
In 291 career games in the NHL, Johnson played for the Blue Jackets, New York Islanders, Chicago Blackhawks, Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers and Boston Bruins, along with playing for several minor league teams during his career.
Across his eight-year career in the NHL, he registered 17 goals and 45 assists totalling 62 points while also tallying 227 penalty minutes.
Johnson made his NHL debut on Dec. 2, 2003, against the Anaheim Ducks and earned his first NHL point with an assist two nights later against the Nashville Predators.
When playing for Calgary, Johnson was sent to Edmonton, along with a draft pick in exchange for Steve Staios. The trade was notable for being the first time the two Battle of Alberta rivals completed a trade with each other in the Flames’ 30-year history.
In 2013-14 he was assigned to the Ranger’s American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack and was named team captain. The Wolf Pack was the 12th different team Johnson played for in his professional career.
He left the Rangers the following season and agreed to a one-year contract with Ottawa and was assigned to lead and captain their AHL affiliate, the Binghamton Senators.
In 2015, Johnson was fortunate enough to be a member of Team Canada who won gold at the Spengler Cup in Davos, Switzerland.
He accepted his first job overseas, in June 2016, signing a one-year contract with Adler Mannheim of the German top-tier Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL). He left Germany after two years and agreed as a free agent to a two-year deal with the Steelers of the EIHL.
Johnson was due to remain in Sheffield for the 2020-21 season as a player and assistant coach, but the campaign was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“I was lucky enough to play in the Spengler Cup; that was coming to the end of my career,” Johnson said. “Whenever you can win a championship, it seems to stick with you.”
In a short and sweet ceremony Deputy Mayor Jason Aucoin spoke on Johnson’s character, reminiscing about a time he came home for the summer.
“I remember a number of years ago, Aaron came home while he was playing Major Junior and visited the SAREC daycare, it had 30 or 40 kids down there and Aaron spent over an hour down there signing autographs,” Aucoin said. “It was just a true testament to Aaron’s character.”
The deputy mayor also spoke on a time when a former classmate of Johnson’s had a sick child, and Johnson got a jersey signed by all the members of the Blue Jackets to be used as an auction item.
“We’re very proud of (his) personal accomplishments, just as much as we are of (his) hockey ones,” Aucoin said. “He’s a fantastic role model, and we’re extremely proud of how he represents this area.”
Strait Regional Minor Hockey Association (SRMHA) President Angie Matheson said that in 2013 Johnson donated 50 sets of gear to the organization for kids who are unable to afford gear with a chance to play the sport he fell in love with.
Johnson advised whenever you get recognized by the town you grew up in is truly the biggest honour.
“This is home. My parents still live here, so any chance I get I come home,” he said. “Whenever you can get recognized by the town you grew up in, is like the cherry on top.”