Johnson returns to bolster the blue line

Craig Johnson returning for the 2024-25 season

Whitley Warriors are delighted to announce that defenceman Craig Johnson has signed for the club’s 2024-25 campaign.

25-year-old Johnson has played all of his ice hockey at Hillheads, starting out with Whitley’s junior setup and progressing to respectively captain both the Tomahawks and the Braves in addition to making his senior debut with the Warriors in their 2014-15 campaign.

After two further seasons with the Warriors, Johnson iced for Whitley Renegades in the Under 20s league, recording 7 goals and 3 assists in 9 league games before taking a short break from the sport. He then made a welcome return to ice hockey in Whitley’s 2019-20 campaign, collecting 2 goals and 10 assists in 20 league games to make an important contribution from the Warriors’ blue line.

Johnson has not iced for Warriors since 2022 but is eager to get back in the Maroon and Gold. “I’m looking forward to getting back out on the ice at Hillheads with the boys,” he said last week. “Hopefully we’ll push on next season and get the silverware the team and the fans deserve. Always a great group at Whitley and I’m excited to get back amongst it under Tony and Willie.”

Head Coach Tony Hand told us, “I’ve seen Craig play before and now he is a solid and reliable D man. When he contacted me to say he was fit and ready to go again I knew he will add presence to the D and I look forward to working with him.”

Welcome back Craig!