Ellwood City now boasts a National Hockey League Player.
Stephen Johns made his NHL debut with the Dallas Stars on March 11 and has since played four more games. On March 17, he scored his first goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Johns is a native of Wampum and a Class of 2010 Lincoln High School graduate. He graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 2014. The 6’4″, 213 pound defenseman signed a two year contract with the Stars with an $800,000 annual salary.
Johns’ talent and dedication were noticed by Ellwood residents while he was still a Lincoln student. He played on USA National Development teams for two years and was a member of the gold medal-winning USA Squad World Junior Championships.
He was recruited by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2010 draft and attended Notre Dame where he played for four years with the Division I Fighting Irishmen, playing a total of 163 games and scoring 15 goals.
Johns’ professional debut was with the the Illinois-based Rockford IceHogs, Blackhawk’s American Hockey League affiliate, playing eight games in 2014 after graduation. Johns played throughout the 2014-15 season, although he missed seven weeks due to a concussion in October.
In July 2015, Johns was traded to the Dallas Stars and played for their AHL team, the Texas Stars. Johns was called into the NHL and ironically made his debut against the Blackhawks on March 11. His new team defeated his old team 5-2.
“What a night. What a win,” Johns tweeted following the game. “Couldn’t have asked for a better way to make my dream come true. Thank you everyone, especially my family and hometown!”
In the past week, Johns has played four more games and scored his first goal last Thursday.
Ellwoodicty.org was unable to get a hold of Stephen Johns, but did talk to his father, Raymond Johns.
Stephen’s parents, Raymond and Noreen, along with his older brother, also Raymond, and younger sister, Leslie, made the trip to Dallas for Stephen’s debut two games.
“It was as a good a game as I’ve ever seen in my life,” Raymond Johns said. “It was very exciting to see him play. It was devastating when he got traded but it all worked out well. He needed a break and he got it. Hopefully, he impressed the fans and coaching staff and can make a long career in the NHL.”
Of course, Stephen John’s support isn’t just from his family but from the entire community. Raymond Johns informed the Ellwoodcity.org Staff that the praise Stephen receives from his hometown isn’t unnoticed.
“He appreciates everyone from Ellwood and Wampum following him,” Raymond said. “It’s been great to have people congratulate me.”
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