The Clippers have made a big signing, bringing in 20-year-old Alex Johnston, a veteran of Major Junior, having played 4 seasons with the Soo Greyhounds of the OHL. In 131 games, Alex compiled 22 goals and 24 assists for 46 points. He is a highly skilled centre that will nicely slide into the top 6 of an already strong forward core.
Alex hails from Stittsville, Ontario and played his minor hockey with the Ottawa Valley Titans and then with the Kanata Lasers. He was drafted 7th overall in the 2016 Bantam draft for the CCHL (Junior A) and then drafted 118th overall in the 2017 OHL draft by the Soo Greyhounds. He is planning on heading to USports (the Canadian University Hockey League) for the 2022-2023 season but wanted to spend his last junior season with a high level BCHL team.
Head Coach and GM, Darren Naylor, provided the following assessment of Johnston, “Alex is a highly skilled, good sized centreman. He is a strong skater with high-level hockey senses. I can definitely see him being a top-end player for us. We had room for another 20-year-old and a Major Junior player so we were drawn to Alex as he fits a number of gaps in our line-up, exposed over the first few weeks of the season.”
Colin Birkas, Associate Coach, added, “We have been searching for another high-end 20-year-old and Johnston seems like an obvious choice for the Clipper’s needs. He has a high compete level, is strong on the puck, and is a high-character player. My scouting of the player confirms he is a natural centreman, has an offensive flair and is a proven playmaker. We are expecting Alex to come in as a natural leader for the team and contributing immediately to the offense.”
