Defenseman Albert Johansson is doing his best to learn the style of play that will allow him to follow his father’s path to the NHL.

Story and photo by Mark Newman

Albert Johansson tried other sports growing up – a little floorball, some soccer – but it only delayed the inevitable.

“We were a hockey family,” he says, thinking about his upbringing.

Both of his brothers – Gabriel, who is eight years older; and Oliver, who is four years older – played hockey. Which is no surprise, given that the boys’ father was a former professional hockey player himself.

Roger Johansson played 150 games with the Calgary Flames and another 11 games with the Chicago Blackhawks through four NHL seasons (1989-91, 1992-93, 1994-95) but spent most of his career as a defenseman in the Swedish Elite League.

As a harbinger of his hockey future, Albert was born during his father’s last season.

Too little to know any different, the youngest Johansson was strapping on skates almost as soon as he could walk, learning to love the ice at the age of two. By five or six, he was already showing signs of being an accomplished player beyond his years.

“At home, it was hockey all the time,” Johansson recalled. “My dad was coaching one of my brother’s teams, so after school, I was always going to the rink so that I could go on the ice with them. It just felt natural to play hockey.”

Although separated by several years, the brothers played informally together, which is usually to the benefit of the youngest, who often amplifies the talent of those before him. “When I was younger, I looked up to them,” he said. “I wanted to be like my brothers.”

Albert did his best to learn from the lessons laid before him, even if he was playing out of position.

“During the winter back home, we would play street hockey,” he said. “I liked hockey because my dad was a former hockey player and my brothers played, too. Because I was the youngest, I always had to play goalie.”

Albert, however, harbored no illusion of ever becoming a goalie. Instead, he gravitated to the position that his father played professionally, even though there was never any push to follow in his father’s footsteps. “Most of the time, he would just say, ‘Go out and play your game – have fun.’

“He didn’t want to be that guy who says ‘Do this’ or ‘Don’t do that.’ He was just my dad. He encouraged me to do what I was good at. ‘Just play your game.’ He knew he didn’t have to say anything because he trusted the coaches of my teams.”

Even so, a little instruction would inevitably seep into the conversation at the Johansson household. “Of course, when I was younger, it was hard not to talk hockey back home,” he said.

“As I got older and started playing for the national team and the men’s team in Karlstad, I could start asking for tips and advice.”

At age 18, Johansson was selected in the second round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft by the Detroit Red Wings. He was the 60th overall pick. “I was just so happy,” he said. “The first feeling I got was that I knew Detroit is a good organization. I was impressed by the way they talked about how they wanted to work with me. It felt like they cared about the players they drafted.”

Johansson had appeared in three games with Färjestad BK during the 2018-19 season before the draft, spending most of the year with the Färjestad junior team. In 40 games, he recorded five goals and 24 assists for 29 points, tied for second most in the league among defensemen.

There was never any doubt that he would stay in Sweden at the time. “The Red Wings said we just want to sign you,” Johansson recalled. “We are not going to bring you over now, so you can stay and play in Farjestad. I thought that was fine.”

He played the full 2019-20 season in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) with the Färjestad BK team in Karlstad. In 42 games, he tallied two goals and 11 assists for 13 points – respectable numbers for a first-year pro. In his second season with the team, he upped his production to eight goals and 11 assists in 44 games.

“After that season, they asked me how I felt about going over and I told them that I didn’t know if I am ready to go over right now. For me, it felt like it would be good to play one more year in the SHL and play big minutes, including the power play and PK, so that I could grow as a player.

“They agreed with me. They said, ‘If you’re not feeling ready, we’re not going to bring you over because it’s not going to be good for us or good for you. So stay in Sweden and we can talk again after the season and see what you think.’

“I’m thankful for that because I ended up having a good year in Sweden.”

Johansson was already getting guidance from former Red Wings defenseman Niklas Kronwall, who watches over the progress of the Detroit organization’s many Swedish prospects while serving as an advisor to general manager Steve Yzerman.

“We talked after the games,” Johansson said. “Sometimes he came to Karlstad the day before a game and we would go out for dinner and just talk. Sometimes he came onto the ice before team practices and we would do shooting drills or small d-zone work. Sometimes we would watch video.

“He’s a really good guy and he’s helped me a lot, of course.”

Johansson’s final season in Sweden didn’t begin as well as he had hoped.

“I had a pretty tough start to my season – things didn’t go my way,” he said. “In my mind, I knew it would be my last year in Sweden. It was the last year of my contract back home and it was the second year that Detroit had loaned me out to Sweden.

“Because it was my third year in the SHL, I think there was more pressure, both from myself and Färjestad as well as Detroit. I felt like I had to show that I was ready and tried to do things that didn’t work, so I got frustrated.”

A few chats with the Red Wings helped get him back on track. “When I talked to Kronwall, he said, ‘Just keep it simple – start there.’ He said, ‘We know you’re good, you know you’re good. Just play your game. Just keep working.’ And so I did.”

His struggles – whether real or imagined – eventually faded.

“I don’t think I played that good, but the longer the season went, I started feeling like I was playing better and better. I think the last 10 games of the regular season and the playoffs, I was peaking and playing good hockey. I got to play a lot of minutes and that’s how you get better, when you play lots.”

And though his father stayed in the background, Johansson was often reminded of the fact that he was playing for Karlstad, where his father had won three league championships (1988, 1997, 1998) during nine seasons with the hometown team.

“They have photos in the locker room there and when I was sitting in my stall, I was under a photo of my dad with the trophy,” he said. “Before every game during the playoffs, I would look at the photo and think, if we win, it can be me and my dad in lookalike photos with the trophy.”

“When I talked to the newspaper, they would say ‘now it’s your turn’ and ‘how much do you want to win and do what your dad did?’ And I said, ‘Of course, I want to win.’”

Sixth-ranked among the 10 teams entering the playoffs, Färjestad BK reached the finals against the second-ranked Luleå HF team, the same organization his father had faced to win the Le Mat Trophy as Swedish champions in 1997.

It took seven games, but Färjestad won its 10th championship, the perfect ending to Johansson’s time in Sweden.

Not surprisingly, Johansson felt a little bit like a fish out of water when he joined the Griffins this fall. The adjustment to the smaller ice surface in North American rinks was particularly problematic for a young defenseman who had grown accustomed to the larger, open ice surface in Sweden.

“My first 10 games here, I was thinking, ‘What is this?’ It felt like there were players everywhere. It seemed like I didn’t have any time with the puck,” Johansson recalled. “But after those first 10 games, I started to feel like I had more time than I realized. I started to learn when I could make a play, when I just needed to chip out the puck, when I could join the rush or when I had to stay back.

“And now it feels like it’s getting better every game.”

There were also adjustments to be made living in a new country. His acclimation was aided by the fact that there are three other Swedes on the Griffins. “It’s a big step moving over from Sweden by ourselves for the first time,” he said. “It helps to have a couple of Swedes around. It makes you feel a little more comfortable.”

At the midpoint of the 2022-23 season, Johansson felt like he was finally finding his game.

“When I am playing well, I’m not thinking too much. Everything is coming naturally. I know what to do,” he said. “It’s making that good first pass to the forwards so they can skate into the offensive zone. I’m feeling comfortable and not getting stressed out. Everything just comes. I’m just out there, having fun, enjoying the game.”

Johansson would like to contribute more offensively, but he knows the points will eventually come if he continues to play the right way and keep things simple. “I’ve always been a little more of an offensive player, but I want to be a two-way defenseman,” he said. “I want to be a player who can play big minutes, play a shutdown game, and help the team win.”

He knows he is a work-in-progress.

“There are still ups and downs,” he said. “Some games you can feel like you’re playing good now and some games are tougher. That’s how a season goes. There are ups and downs. You have to keep working and learn from every day.”

Johansson was able to spend 11 days with his brothers in Grand Rapids during early January and he was planning to welcome his parents three weeks later – a nice break of sorts during what will be his longest season to date. “It’s a lot of games but that’s the fun part,” he said. “You want to play.”

He remains focused on his ultimate goal.

“My dream, of course, is to play in Detroit, but it’s a good step coming over and playing in the American League,” he said. “You try to listen and learn as much as you can. You have to learn how to play here. The more games you play, the more comfortable you can be. If the chance comes, I’ll be more ready.”