Erik Johnson: Protect Your Noggin
Colorado Avalanche defenseman Erik Johnson’s devil-may-care attitude should not pertain to his head health. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Johnson is 6-foot-4 — it should be relatively easy to protect his head from opponents and even teammates. Yet three times this year he’s left the game with an injury above his shoulders. He even missed a game — and that’s significant for a workhorse like EJ.
Johnson has bumped his head against the boards when he fell awkwardly. He also fell victim to this horrifying hit from Arizona Coyote Martin Hanzal:
Hanzal went unpunished, and “luckily” Johnson only suffered a neck injury — it looked like a lot worse.
Johnson also left at the end of the first period when Duchene — who’s only 5-foot-11, for Pete’s sake — caught him with a high stick. He returned to that game, but still. This is a man who’s missing teeth and has suffered from a concussion. He’s just got to find a way to protect himself above the shoulders.