Terry Johnson was a reliable 6'3" 218 lb. stay-at-home defenceman who played nearly 300 games with four different NHL clubs. His game wasn't fancy but his coolness under pressure and willingness to play it rough helped the defense corps everywhere he played.
The native of Calgary, Alberta played two years with the Calgary Canucks in the Alberta Junior league followed by a season each with the WCJHL's Saskatoon Blades and the University of Calgary. It was after his season in junior that Johnson was noticed by the Quebec Nordiques and signed as a free agent.
He turned pro in 1979-80 and played most of the next four years in the minors with the occasional recall to Quebec. The St. Louis Blues picked him up on waivers on the eve of the 1983-84 season and he went on to play his best hockey with them over the next three years. Late in the 1985-86 season his savvy was sought by the Calgary Flames when he was included in the deal that brought Joe Mullen to Alberta. Johnson played extremely well in eight post-season games as the Flames reached the Stanley Cup final for the first time.
Prior to the 1986-87 season Johnson was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs for disgruntled forward Jim Korn. He cleared the front of the Toronto net for 48 regular season games and two playoff contests as the Leafs came within one game of the semi-finals. Johnson was particularly effective as the defensive half of a partnership with young Al Iafrate. After spending most of the 1987-88 season in the AHL, Johnson was called up to add stability to Toronto's shaky defence in their first round playoff loss to Detroit. The steady rearguard retired after the series ended.
