Lightning Sign Undrafted Center Tyler Johnson

[Thrillhouse]

The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed center Tyler Johnson of the Western Hockey League’s Spokane Chiefs to a standard three-year entry-level contract today, vice president and general manager Steve Yzerman announced.

Johnson, 5-foot-9, 175 pounds, has appeared in 259 career games with the Spokane Chiefs of the Western Hockey League during the previous four seasons, amassing 123 goals and 273 points. This season he has established career highs in goals with 48, assists with 58 and points 106 in 64 games. Johnson currently leads the Chiefs in goals, assists, power play goals (15) and shorthanded goals (6) while also ranking third on the squad with a plus-27 ranking. He has also skated in 40 career postseason games, all with Spokane, registering 13 goals and 24 points.

A native of Spokane, Washington, Johnson’s goal total is tied for the WHL lead, while he ranks fourth in assists and second in points among all WHL skaters. He also is seventh in power-play goals with 15 and second in power-play assists with 34. Johnson most recently led all WHL players in scoring through the month of February, picking up points in 10 of his 13 games played, all of which were multi-point nights, including four three-point games. He has also excelled in international competition, helping Team USA to the Gold Medal at the 2010 World Junior Championships in Canada, recording three goals and five points with a plus-4 rating in seven games.

Johnson went undrafted in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.