MOUNT CLEMENS, Mich. – Joey Johnson is quiet on the ice and quiet off the ice, but that doesn’t mean his game doesn’t speak volumes.
A 2000 birth year defenseman from Midland, Mich., Johnson wrapped up his junior hockey career in 2020-21 with the Metro Jets, collecting eight goals and 36 points in 41 regular-season games, in addition to five points in five USPHL playoff games.
That solid season has earned Johnson an NCAA commitment to Wilkes University, a Division III school in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., for the 2021-22 season.
“’Q’ (Jets coach-GM Justin Quenneville) connected me with head coach Tyler Hynes and he reached out to me the week after the season ended,” Johnson said. “I recently went on a visit to Wilkes, and it has everything I’m looking for in a program. I plan to play strong defensively, move pucks up ice, and fill any role they need me to.
“The Jets helped me build good habits and skills that’ll translate well to the next level. Every drill in practice had a purpose and it made executing in games that much easier. I think this season was overall a good one. We got better every day and our compete level never dropped, whether it was against other teams or each other.”
In the classroom, Johnson is looking to major in Mechanical Engineering.
Quenneville said having Johnson on the back end this season made the Jets that much tougher to play against, night in and night out.
“Joey is a high-end player with an even higher hockey IQ,” said Quenneville. “He was a pleasure to coach and was a big part of his team’s success. We don’t win another regular-season league title this year without him. He was consistent, a competitor, and reliable in all situations for us in the big games. Joey’s situation for next year was unique because he had several NCAA offers. However, he was specific about his major and Wilkes has a strong engineering program.
“The hockey world is small, and Wilkes head coach Tyler Hynes played at Union, where an old pro teammate of mine was the coach. We had many conversations and Coach Hynes looks to be building a strong program at Wilkes. They picked a great ‘D’ in Joey to come in and play. We wish him the best of luck next year.”
“We only had ‘Johnny’ for a season here, but he left a big impact on this program,” added Jets associate coach Jamie Lovell. “Wilkes is getting a mature, smart, skilled defender. He’s so coachable that he’ll fit right in with their program, just as he did with ours.”
Johnson noted that his lone season with the Jets after a season in Canada made all the difference in the world.
“First and foremost, I’d like to thank my parents and family for making countless sacrifices to get me where I’m at today,” said Johnson. “Q, (Jets associate coach) Jamie (Lovell) and the rest of the Jets organization gave me a great opportunity this year, and I thank them for it. Lastly, I thank all my teammates. They made going to the rink the best part of the day.”
Over the summer, Johnson said he plans to get on the ice, work and play some golf.
