Johnson originally got his start playing hockey while living in Grosse Ile, Michigan, before moving to Chicago and spending time with the Chicago Fury program for a handful of years. The defenseman then would end up competing with the Chicago Mission organization and also in Minnesota for Wayzata, including his senior season with the Trojans under Head Coach Pat O’Leary. 

After high school, Johnson got connected with Dan Mayes, who is the coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins Elite 18U team. He spent a post-graduate year there and eventually signed a tender in the NAHL with the Philadelphia Rebels at the end of that season. 

“It was a huge step in my journey and they were very development focused,” said Johnson about his time in Pittsburgh. “I was able to spend a lot of extra time at the rink since it was a post-grad year which got me prepared for juniors and has ultimately helped me get to where I am now.” 

Making the eventual jump into full-time junior hockey the year after that obviously came with its ups and downs. The defenseman started the 2023-24 season with the Rebels of the NAHL (who he tendered with) and appeared in 15 games, tallying five points, before making the decision to shake things up and compete up in Canada, in the Alberta Junior Hockey League, instead. Johnson joined the roster of the Whitecourt Wolverines for 27 games that year, posting 13 points, and had a great experience with a squad there that wound up being the runners-up of the league playoffs. 

“Over in Whitecourt was an awesome experience, we had a winning team, a championship team, that went to the rink everyday and battled together and we just had a great group of guys that continued to push each other, whether it was in the weight room, in practice or in games,” he told APX about his time with the Wolverines. “I was really fortunate to be a part of a tight group and it was definitely an experience that I give a lot of credit to for my success over the past few years and has really helped prepare me for college hockey.”

He also said that having an amazing billet situation up in Alberta, and for some of his other junior teams as well, was a game-changer. 

“The billet families that I have had have been great and they are so important to each and every day of a junior hockey player, whether it’s meals and a place to stay or keeping your mind on the right path, it’s just so important to have supportive billets and I have been really fortunate to have that and to be connected with them for life.” 

After that season was over, Johnson spent the following summer in camp with the Lincoln Stars of the USHL before eventually winding up back in the NAHL - this time with the Minnesota Wilderness. He only suited up for two official games with the team though before being acquired by the North Iowa Bulls, based out of Mason City. 

“The coaches, Alex North and Nick Bruneteau [of North Iowa], were very supportive of me and they just understand the hockey player and how everyone is chasing their dream,” Johnson said about playing for the Bulls. “Coach Bruneteau played professional hockey and chased his dream and he’s a players coach and he understands what it takes and I credit a lot of my success to him and Coach North for helping get me to where I am and I feel like I can’t do enough for them for how much they’ve done for me.” 

The Wayzata graduate played in 54 games for North Iowa and posted a career high of six goals and 31 assists in 2024-25. 

“Evan had a phenomenal season for us. Nobody works harder than him. His competitiveness and work ethic were unmatched,” said Head Coach Bruneteau in a press release from the NAHL about Johnson’s commitment. “He was a constant source of production on the power play and contributed in all situations.”

Even though many athletes, such as Johnson, put up strong statistics in the NAHL this past season, the college recruitment process was a tough one for many athletes in junior hockey over the past few months as things like influx of CHL players and the NCAA transfer portal has affected the amount of open spots that many programs may have to offer. Johnson said that his teammates had a big impact on the mindset that he took to the rink every day and the support that he felt, and that many of them struggled through the recruiting process together. 

“The recruiting process definitely wasn’t easy and there were a lot of hard days emotionally and mentally but ultimately you had to have a positive mindset that you’re going to get something and I just kept grinding everyday and going to the rink with a good attitude and just trying to showcase what I had out at games,” he said. “This year was a tough year on the recruiting side of things and everyone struggled with that equally. It was really important to go to the rink with a group of guys that supported each other and were going through the same things.”

Staying positive and focusing on the things that he could control eventually led him to a connection with Northern Michigan University. After the season ended for the Bulls, Johnson got an offer from the Wildcats and it was one that he couldn’t turn down - so he accepted it and made it official via social media on May 19. 

Since Johnson spent time growing up in Michigan, he was already a bit familiar with the NMU program and he even has family members from the Marquette area, so he knew that the public university located in the Upper Peninsula would be a great place to play college hockey. He also thinks that it will be a great fit considering that the style of play in the NAHL will likely be fairly comparable to the style of play in the CCHA. 

There will be some familiar faces once he gets out to campus too, including one of his former teammates for the Philadelphia Rebels in Tyler Stern - who is set to join the Wildcats this fall as well. Johnson is currently undecided on what his major will be but he knows that he enjoys helping athletes with their health and overall well-being, so it could end up being something in that realm of interest. 

“I challenge anyone in the same situation in the upcoming years, or any hard situation, just keep your foot down and keep your mind in a good space and keep the negative thoughts away, use the support of anyone around you,” Johnson said about his advice to any other athletes who may be in a similar situation. 

The 5-foot-11 defenseman has been an APX athlete now for the last five years and says that he has loved the support that the program has given him along with the lifelong friends that he has made throughout his time here.  

“Whether it's picking up the phone for a question during the season or just some support, whether it’s in the weight room or on the ice, they’ve been so supportive [at APX] … just helping me progress each year and becoming a better player.” 

For any Northern Michigan fans who may read this story - Johnson prides his game on being a skater who is a tirelessly hard worker. He says that he is going to give it his full effort around the clock in practice, in the weight room, and in games, no matter what.

“When I get out there in games, I play hard. I’m physical and I play well defensively. I can add production on the offensive side but ultimately defense is my first priority,” he said about the strong points of his game. “I focus on moving pucks quickly and getting up the ice but when it’s time to defend that’s an area that I’ve improved on within the last year or two while traveling through junior hockey and playing for different coaches.”

During his interview with APX, the Wayzata resident also gave thanks to mentors like Packy Munson and Avi Friedman, who helped him throughout his journey in the sport. You can look forward to seeing Johnson on the ice in Marquette this upcoming season in 2024-25.