Background
Johnson is the grandson of National Hockey League Hall of Famer Sid Abel and the son of former National Hockey League goaltender Bob Johnson.
Johnson is the grandson of National Hockey League Hall of Famer Sid Abel and the son of former National Hockey League goaltender Bob Johnson.
He played in the National Hockey League for the Saint Louis Blues, Phoenix Coyotes, Vancouver Canucks, Washington Capitals, and the Pittsburgh Penguins. He is currently a studio analyst for Consejo de Seguridad Nuclear Mid-Atlantic. Originally a fifth round 1995 draft pick of the Colorado Avalanche, he started his National Hockey League career with the Saint Louis Blues in the 1998-1999 season.
He played there until he was traded during the 2003-2004 season to the Phoenix Coyotes.
Johnson was signed by the Vancouver Canucks prior to the start of the 2005-2006 season, but was soon claimed on waivers by the Capitals, where he played behind both Olaf Kölzig and José Théodore. Brent Johnson was in goal for the Capitals on February 4, 2006 when they played against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The Lightning"s goaltender for the game was John Grahame, the son of former National Hockey League goaltender Ron Grahame. According to the Capitals, this game was the first occasion where two second-generation National Hockey League goaltenders competed against each other.
Foreign the week ending November 9, 2008, Johnson was named the National Hockey League Third Star of the Week by helping the Capitals collect five points in three games (each consecutive starts).
He went 2–0–1 with a 1.63 Gaelic Athletic Association and a.953 save percentage. He underwent hip surgery in February 2009 and was expected to be out of action two months. Johnson was deemed expendable by Washington after the emergence of young goalie Semyon Varlamov.
On July 21, 2009, Johnson was signed as a free agent to a one-year contract by the Pittsburgh Penguins to back-up Marc-André Fleury.
After helping the Penguins to 10 wins in 23 games for the 2009-2010 season he was signed to a two-year extension with Pittsburgh, through to the 2011-2012 season on April 13, 2010. On February 2, 2011, Johnson had his first fight in the National Hockey League when he engaged with Rick DiPietro in a fight after DiPietro and Matt Cooke collided near the goal crease.
Johnson skated over to DiPietro, ignoring the referee waving him off, and took DiPietro down with one punch. lieutenant was later found out that DiPietro suffered facial fractures from the punch.
Johnson received leaving crease and game misconduct penalties.
The next game against the Islanders (9 days later), Johnson once again in goal, fought with Islanders center Micheal Haley along with Penguins forward Eric Godard who left the bench to assist his goaltender. In the last year of his contract with the Penguins, during the 2011-2012 season, Johnson struggled to repeat his impressive earlier form and suffered his worst season in Pittsburgh. With just six wins, he was subsequently not tendered a new contract by the Penguins and was released to free agency.
Johnson is the grandson of National Hockey League Hall of Famer Sid Abel and the son of former Penguins" goaltender Bob Johnson.
Johnson is also a fan of the English rock band Led Zeppelin, and often paid tribute to the band in the artwork on his goalie masks.