The University of Minnesota Duluth is now in need of an assistant team captain.
Adam Johnson, who was to handle one of the two assistant captaincy roles with the the 2017-18 Bulldogs, has signed a two-year entry level contract with the National Hockey League's Pittsburgh Penguins and thus will forgo his final two seasons of collegiate eligibility.
A native of Hibbing, Minn., Johnson enjoyed a breakout season season this past winter, ranking second among all Bulldogs in goals (18), points (37) and shots (133) -- all career bests -- while scoring a team-high seven times on the power play. The most notable of those mad advantage scores came in overtime in UMD's 3-2 triumph over Boston University for the NCAA West Regional title. Johnson, who helped lead UMD to its first National Collegiate Hockey Conference Frozen Faceoff championship last March by pacing the team with five points (one goal and four assists) at that two-day event, was the lone Bulldog to be used at four different positions during the course of the 2016-17 season -- left wing, center, right wing and defense.
For his career, Johnson skated in 81 of 82 games since joining the Bulldog program in 2015-16 and had 55 points (24 goals and 31 assists) to show for it. He was also a two-time NCHC All-Academic Team pick.
Johnson a free agent, is the 16th Bulldog since 2007 -- and third this year -- to leave UMD early for the professional ranks, joining wingers Mason Raymond (with Vancouver in 2007), Rob Bordson (Anaheim in 2010), Mike Connolly (San Jose in 2011), J.T. Brown (Tampa Bay in 2012) and Caleb Herbert (Washington in 2014), defensemen Matt Niskanen (Dallas in 2007), Jason Garrison (Florida in 2008), Evan Oberg (Vancouver in 2009), Dylan Olsen (Chicago in 2010), Justin Faulk (Carolina in 2011), Chris Casto (Boston in 2013) and Neal Pionk (New York Rangers in 2017) and goaltenders Hunter Miska (Phoenix in 2017), Kasimir Kaskisuo (Toronto in 2016) and Alex Stalock (San Jose in 2009).
