Boise, ID - Head Coach and Director of Hockey Operations Brad Ralph announced Tuesday afternoon that the
Idaho Steelheads have signed forward
Nick Johnson.
Johnson, 26, played in 77 games last season for the NHL's
Minnesota Wild. Along the way, he netted eight goals and added 18 assists and was invited to participate in the NHL Skills Competition during All-Star weekend in Ottawa. In all, the 6-foot-1 winger has competed in 87 games at the NHL level with the Wild and
Pittsburgh Penguins after being a third-round draft selection of the Penguins in 2004.
After playing last season with Minnesota, Johnson signed a contract with the NHL's
Phoenix Coyotes prior to the NHL lockout.
The Calgary, Alberta, native has also spent time with the ECHL's
Wheeling Nailers and Wilkes-Barre Scranton of the American Hockey League between 2008 and 2011. He set a career-high in goals with 20 in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton during the 2010-11 campaign. He played his college hockey at Dartmouth, where he served as team captain during his senior season.