Greg Johnson – NHL veteran who died by suicide in 2019 – was diagnosed with CTE, family says

July 10, 2024

Greg Johnson, a former NHL center and captain of the Nashville Predators who committed suicide in 2019, has been diagnosed with CTE, his family announced Wednesday through the Concussion Legacy Foundation.

CTE, or chronic traumatic encephalopathy, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease caused in part by repeated traumatic brain injuries, such as those that occur in contact sports or military combat, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). CTE can only be definitively diagnosed through an autopsy of the brain after death.

Dr. Ann McKee, director of the Boston University CTE Center, who has led NIH-funded research on the disease, diagnosed Johnson with CTE, the Concussion Legacy Foundation said in a news release. McKee could not definitively determine the severity of Johnson’s CTE because of the cause of death, the news release said.

A postmortem CTE diagnosis should not be considered a cause of suicide because it is “complex and multifactorial,” the release said, but traumatic brain injury (TBI) is associated with suicide independent of CTE. The link between TBI, CTE and suicide has not been formally studied, the release said.

Johnson died on July 7, 2019, at the age of 48 in Rochester, Michigan. No suicide note was left, according to the Detroit News, which cited a Rochester police report. The Oakland County (Michigan) coroner declined to discuss the results of an autopsy performed around the time of Johnson’s death, the Detroit News previously reported.

Kristin Johnson, whom Johnson has been married to for 22 years, said his CTE diagnosis “took her breath away.”

“Greg’s death rocked our world, and we never imagined he was battling this disease,” Kristin said in a press release. “As far as we knew, he had very few symptoms, but he spoke often about his concussions. I still remember the moment he told me that his heart condition (which forced him) to end his career was a blessing because he couldn’t take another hit. He knew that his hockey career had a profound effect on his brain.”

Johnson’s eldest daughter, Carson Johnson, said she “had no idea what CTE even stood for when (her) father took his life.”

“Now that I know that the blows he endured during his hockey career have damaged his brain, I want all athletes to understand the risks and I want the NHL to start
“We must acknowledge the existence of this group and do more to protect its players so other daughters do not have to lose their fathers,” Carson said in the press release.

Piper Johnson, Johnson’s youngest daughter, added: “He was truly the best father we ever had and losing him to suicide was unimaginable. It was horrible, but we want to talk about it to show others affected that they are not alone and that there is help.”

The Philadelphia Flyers drafted Johnson in the second round of the 1989 NHL Entry Draft, but he was traded to the Detroit Red Wings in 1993 before he even played for Philadelphia. He spent the next 12 seasons in the NHL, playing for the Red Wings, Pittsburgh Penguins, Chicago Blackhawks and Predators, finishing his career with 145 goals and 224 assists in 785 games.

Johnson is from Thunder Bay, Ontario, and was also a member of the Canadian national team. He won a silver medal at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Norway and won gold with Canada at the 1991 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.

Johnson played college hockey for the University of North Dakota from 1989 to 1993.

He retired in 2006 after a physical examination revealed an irregular heartbeat.

If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, call or text the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline on 988. Alternatively, contact the Crisis Text Line by texting “HOME” to 741741.