Sports
Greg Johnson
1971–2019 · ice hockey centre
Skilled centre who spent parts of four seasons with the Red Wings in the 1990s, later returned to Detroit as a free agent, and made the city his home until his death there in 2019.
- Born
Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada- Died
Detroit, Michigan
aged 48- Birth name
- Gregory James Johnson
- Detroit years
- 1993–1997, 2005–2007
- Field
- Sports
01 / The Detroit story
The Detroit story
Detroit traded for Johnson in June 1993, and general manager Bryan Murray specifically targeted him as a skilled centre to help develop a young roster. He spent parts of four seasons with the Red Wings, from 1993 to 1997, before a January 1997 trade sent him to Pittsburgh in exchange for winger Tomas Sandström. He returned to Detroit as a free agent in 2006 for one more season, and by then had settled permanently in the city, where he remained after his playing career ended. He died at his Detroit home in July 2019, at age forty-eight.
Highlights
- Traded to the Detroit Red Wings in June 1993
- Played parts of four seasons with Detroit, 1993–1997
- Traded to Pittsburgh in January 1997 for Tomas Sandström, whose goal helped win the 1997 Cup
- Returned to the Red Wings as a free agent for the 2006–07 season
- Made Detroit his home until his death there in 2019
02 / Their Detroit places
Their Detroit places 1
Where they lived, worked, performed and liked to hang out. Closed and demolished places stay here too, because they are part of the city's history.
Played here · 1993–1997, 2006–2007
Joe Louis Arena
Demolished · 1979–2017
His home rink across both of his stints with the Red Wings.