This article discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
Greg Johnson was suffering from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) when he killed himself five years ago, his family said Wednesday.
The 12-year NHL veteran shot himself by gunshot on July 7, 2019, 13 years after his final NHL game.
Johnson’s brain was analyzed by Dr. Ann McKee of the Boston University CTE Center.
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Nashville Predators player Greg Johnson (number 22) stops to make a play with the puck during a game against the Los Angeles Kings at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California on March 25, 2006. The Kings defeated the Predators 6-4. (Noah Graham/Getty Images)
CTE is a brain disease found to be caused by repeated blows to the head and can only be diagnosed post-mortem.
“The diagnosis took my breath away,” said Johnson’s widow, Christine. The couple had been married for 22 years. “Greg’s death shattered our world. We never suspected he was suffering from this disease. As far as we knew, he had few symptoms, but he spoke frequently of his concussions. I still remember the moment he told me he was thankful his heart condition had forced him to retire because he wouldn’t be able to take any more hits. He knew his hockey career had had a tremendous impact on his brain.”
Nashville Predators’ Greg Johnson (number 22) plays against the Los Angeles Kings at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The Kings won 2-0. (Harry Howe/Getty Images)
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“When my father took his life, we didn’t even know what CTE stood for,” Johnson’s eldest daughter, Carson, said. “Now that I know the blows he took throughout his hockey career caused brain damage, I want all athletes to understand the risks and I want the NHL to acknowledge it exists and do more to protect its players so other girls don’t have to lose their fathers.”
Johnson’s youngest daughter, Piper, said she is proud that her father’s legacy is contributing to CTE research.
“He was such an amazing father and to lose him to suicide is more devastating than we could have ever imagined. It’s absolutely awful but we want to talk about it so other people who are suffering know they are not alone and that help is available,” she added.
Johnson played the final seven years of his career with the Nashville Predators, where he served as captain, and was drafted 33rd overall by the Philadelphia Flyers in 1989 but never played for the team.
Nashville Predators player Greg Johnson. (Bruce Bennett Studios, Getty Images Studios/via Getty Images)
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He joined the Detroit Red Wings in 1993, where he spent his first three and a half seasons, but also played for the Pittsburgh Penguins and Chicago Blackhawks.
His older brother, Ryan, played 15 years in the NHL and is currently the assistant general manager of the Vancouver Canucks.
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