When Jack Johnson was drafted third overall in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft he probably didn’t expect to still be on the ice.
The veteran defenseman turned 38 during the 2024 season, which ended with his Columbus Blue Jackets missing out on the ongoing Stanley Cup Playoffs.
GettyJohnson landed a life-changing contract but ended up with dizzying debts[/caption]He reached 1,000 games while playing for the Colorado Avalanche in 2022 and became just the 19th player to win the Stanley Cup for the first time after hitting the milestone later that year.
Johnson has earned almost $55million over his long career with a seven-year, $30million deal from the Blue Jackets that was signed in 2011 providing him with a life-changing opportunity.
But just three years later, he filed for bankruptcy, claiming $50,000 in assets against $10-15million in estimated debts per Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch.
Portzline’s report suggests that Johnson handed over power of attorney to his mother, Tina, after splitting with his then-agent, Pat Brisson, in 2008.
She then tried to borrow money against future earnings with around 18 high-interest loans and purchased a house in Manhattan Beach, California, that she lived in with her husband, Jack Sr.
Johnson Jr. was apparently unaware of the loans and has been sued several times for over $6 million.
To help pay back the loans taken out in his name, Jack liquidated two homes, a Ferrari and he gave up two years of his NHL play, according to The Columbus Dispatch.
“Jack would ask (his parents) questions, ‘What’s this? What are these guys calling about?’ ” a source said via Forbes.
“And they would tell him not to worry about it, just worry about playing hockey.”
The Dispatch claims that Johnson cut ties with his parents, who were not named in Johnson’s own lawsuit against a mortgage broker and an investment firm that he blamed for the mess.
GettyJohnson is in his second stint as a Blue Jacket[/caption] GettyThe defenseman has been in the NHL for two decades[/caption]“I’d say I picked the wrong people who led me down the wrong path,” he revealed later.
“I’ve got people in place who are going to fix everything now. It’s something I should have done a long time ago.”
“I’ve seen lots of instances of parents riding their kid’s coattails around,” an NHL executive told the Dispatch.
“I’ve never seen a case as ugly as this one, where the parents took such advantage of their kid.”
The dramatic turn of events is a far cry from Johnson’s thoughts early in his career.
“I think about it all the time,” Johnson told ESPN in 2005.
“If all this stuff works out, it’s all because my parents got up at four in the morning to take me to skate before school started.
GettyJohnson signed a one-year deal worth $775,000 in 2024[/caption]“I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for them. I owe so much to them I’ll never be able to make it up.”
ESPN spoke to Tina at the Vancouver Olympics after Johnson played in a defeat to Canada in the gold-medal game.
“Amazing is just a word that falls off your lips pretty often around here,” she said.
“It’s just such a joyful experience to be here together and nerve-racking at the same time.”
Athletes have often had to be careful about who they trust after turning talent into eye-watering sums of money.
Johnson is still playing the game he loves and has brought his finances back under control after learning a harsh lesson in unfortunate circumstances.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( I made $55m in NHL but went bankrupt after my parents bought California beach house and racked up huge debts in my name )
Also on site :