Ben Johnson (ice hockey)
Benjamin Johnson | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 7, 1994 United States |
| Occupation | Professional ice hockey player |
| Known for | Playing for Windsor Spitfires, Albany Devils, Cincinnati Cyclones, Kansas City Mavericks; convicted of sexual assault |
Benjamin Johnson (born June 7, 1994) is a professional ice hockey player from the United States.
He was chosen by the New Jersey Devils as the 90th overall pick in the third round of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.
Amateur
Johnson played hockey at Calumet High School, where he earned the distinction of Michigan's Mr. Hockey for the 2010–11 season, becoming just the second junior to receive this prestigious state award.
For the 2011–12 season, he joined the Windsor Spitfires competing in the Ontario Hockey League. Across three seasons with Windsor, Johnson amassed 66 goals and 62 assists, totaling 128 points over 191 games, while accumulating 106 penalty minutes.
Professional
On April 3, 2014, Johnson secured an amateur tryout agreement with the Albany Devils, appearing in five games during the 2013–14 AHL season. Subsequently, on May 20, 2014, he inked a three-year entry-level contract with the New Jersey Devils.
After completing a prison term, Johnson restarted his professional career in December 2018 by signing with the Cincinnati Cyclones of the ECHL for the remainder of that season (2018–19).
Following two seasons playing for Cincinnati and a hiatus during the pandemic-impacted 2020–21 season, he returned to ECHL action in December 2021 by joining the Kansas City Mavericks.
Sexual assault conviction
In March 2013, Johnson faced two sexual assault charges stemming from incidents in Windsor. The first allegation involved a 16-year-old victim at Mynt nightclub during the Windsor Spitfires’ St. Patrick’s Day celebration, where Johnson assaulted her while she was intoxicated. A second woman, aged 20, reported an earlier assault at a different bar weeks prior. On September 1, 2016, Johnson was convicted for the Mynt nightclub offense. Following this verdict, the Devils promptly initiated contract termination proceedings. On October 25, 2016, he received a three-year prison sentence.
Career statistics
Awards and honors
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2010–11 | Calumet High | USHS | 30 | 37 | 40 | 77 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2010–11 | Fargo Force | USHL | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2010–11 | U.S. National Development Team | USHL | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2011–12 | Windsor Spitfires | OHL | 68 | 18 | 20 | 38 | 44 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 2012–13 | Windsor Spitfires | OHL | 64 | 20 | 17 | 37 | 32 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2013–14 | Windsor Spitfires | OHL | 59 | 28 | 25 | 53 | 30 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 2 | ||
| 2013–14 | Albany Devils | AHL | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | ||||
| Award | Year received |
|---|---|
| Michigan Mr. Hockey - Outstanding High School Player in Michigan | 2011 |
External links
- 1994 births
- 21st-century American criminals
- Adirondack Thunder players
- Albany Devils players
- American men's ice hockey left wingers
- American male criminals
- American individuals convicted of sexual assault
- American athletes convicted of crimes
- Cincinnati Cyclones (ECHL) players
- Crime in Ontario
- Fargo Force players
- Kansas City Mavericks players
- Living people
- New Jersey Devils draft selections
- Orlando Solar Bears (ECHL) players
- American citizens imprisoned in Canada
- USA Hockey National Team Development Program participants
- Windsor Spitfires players
- HC Nové Zámky players
- HK Dukla Michalovce players
- Krefeld Pinguine players
- American expatriate ice hockey athletes in Canada
- American expatriate ice hockey athletes in Slovakia
- 21st-century American sports figures