Greg Johnson was an elite college hockey player for the University of North Dakota from 1989 to 1993. He was a three-time Hobey Baker Award finalist, earning nominations in 1991, 1992, and 1993. He was also a three-time All-American, earning first-team honors in 1991 and 1993, and second-team honors in 1992. Johnson finished his career as North Dakota’s all-time leading scorer with 272 points in 155 games, including a school-record 198 assists. He was inducted into the University of North Dakota Athletics Hall of Fame in 2013.

After his impressive college career, Johnson was drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers and had a lengthy 12-season professional career in the NHL. He played in over 700 games with the Detroit Red Wings, Pittsburgh Penguins, Chicago Blackhawks, and Nashville Predators. He was an original Predator, having been selected in the 1998 Expansion Draft, and served as the team’s captain from 2002 to 2006. He also represented Canada at the 1994 Winter Olympics, winning a silver medal.