Matt Johnson

Matt Johnson (born November 23, 1975) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey left winger. He played parts of 10 seasons as an enforcer in the National Hockey League with the Los Angeles Kings, Atlanta Thrashers and the Minnesota Wild. Johnson was born in Welland, Ontario, but raised in Fenwick, Ontario.

Playing career
He was drafted in the second round, 33rd overall, by the Los Angeles Kings in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft.

After two-plus seasons in the Ontario Hockey League with the Peterborough Petes, Johnson joined the Kings during the 1994–95 season. During the 1998–99 season, Johnson was suspended for twelve games for sucker-punching Jeff Beukeboom in the back of the head. He would remain a member of the Kings until he was chosen by the Atlanta Thrashers in the 1999 NHL Expansion Draft. On November 17, 1999, Johnson scored 10 seconds after fellow teammate Andrew Brunette in a 5-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning to mark the then two quickest goals in Franchise history. After just one season with the Thrashers, he would join another expansion team, the Minnesota Wild, for the 2000–01 season. Johnson played four seasons with the Wild and, to date, has had no NHL experience since the end of the 2003–04 season.

In his NHL career, Johnson appeared in 473 games, tallying 23 goals and adding 20 assists. In addition, he recorded 1,523 penalty minutes. He also appeared in 16 Stanley Cup playoff games, going scoreless with 31 penalty minutes. He currently makes his home in Los Angeles.