A feisty right-winger who could also score, Brian Johnson played three games with the Detroit Red Wings in 1983-84. In junior and the minors he was a regular entry on the official scorer's sheet based on penalty minutes and goals. Johnson was unable to make his game viable in the NHL on a consistent basis.
Born in Montreal, Quebec, Johnson played junior with the QMJHL's Verdun Eperviers. He proved to be a handful for the opposition, reaching the 30-goal mark twice and topping 100 minutes in penalties three times. Johnson was selected to the QMJHL second all-star team in 1983 after scoring 119 points for Verdun and Sherbrooke. He was signed by the Detroit Red Wings as a free agent in 1979 but never rose past the club's top farm team in the AHL.
Following his third year in the minors Johnson was drafted 107th overall by the Hartford Whalers but did not make the team. He played three games for Detroit in 1983-84 before returning to the minors until his retirement in 1986.
