Amateur was Johannson's coach on the Wisconsin Badgers.|alt=Elderly man with white hair and eyeglasses, wearing a navy blue jacket with a USA Hockey logo Johannson played
ice hockey as a
center, was a right-handed shooter, and was listed as and . He played in the
Minnesota state high school tournament with
Mayo High School in 1982, and was tied as the tournament's leading scorer with seven
points. He was recruited by family friend
Bob Johnson to play for the
Wisconsin Badgers men's ice hockey program along with his older brother John. Johannson signed a
letter of intent in March 1982 to attend the
University of Wisconsin–Madison, then was selected by the
Hartford Whalers in the
1982 NHL entry draft, 130th overall in the seventh round. From 1982 to 1986, Johannson played for the Badgers, and won a
National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) championship as a freshman in the 1982–83 season. He received the Fenton J. Kelsey Award as the most competitive player on the Badgers for the 1983–84 season, in which he scored 17 goals and 21 assists as a sophomore. As a junior, he was named to the
Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) All-Academic team for the 1984–85 season. He was second in goal scoring for the Badgers during the 1985–86 season as a senior, when his
collarbone was broken in a
body check. He missed 12 games due to the injury, then completed his college career with 63 total goals in four seasons. He received the Wisconsin Williamson Award as a scholar athlete, and was again named to the WCHA All-Academic team. He later recalled that he loved his time in Germany and stated, "I got so much ice time, it was great. We had nothing else to do. I had a key to the rink". He scored five goals and two assists in his first eight games in the IHL. He led the league with 15
assists during the 1988 playoffs, At the training camp for the Flames in 1988, coach
Terry Crisp felt Johannson deserved an opportunity despite the depth of the organization at the center and
right wing positions. Johannson returned to the Golden Eagles where he set a team record with eight
short-handed goals during the
1988–89 season. He played in all 82 games during the season, scored 35 goals and 40 assists, then was released. Despite not making the NHL roster, Johannson stated that the Flames treated him well and that he departed on good terms. Johannson discussed a potential contract with European and
National Hockey League (NHL) teams, then agreed to terms with the
Chicago Blackhawks in October 1989 and was assigned to the
Indianapolis Ice in the IHL. He chose to sign with the Blackhawks since he had family ties to Indianapolis through his mother. At the end of the
1990–91 season, Johannson had played 264 consecutive games spanning three seasons. He received the
Ironman Award from the IHL in recognition of his durability, and offensive and defensive skills. Johannson began the final year of his contract with the Blackhawks on loan to the United States national team for the
1991–92 season. He sought a contract with a team in Switzerland after the
1992 Winter Olympics, then took time off to discuss a contract with the Blackhawks and his plan to coach hockey when he retired from playing. He returned to the Indianapolis Ice on March 13, 1992, despite no future guarantee from the Blackhawks. The
Milwaukee Admirals signed Johannson to an IHL contract in July 1992. He played 71 games during the
1992–93 season and scored 14 goals, then played 28 games and scored four goals in the
1993–94 season. Johannson was one of the first players cut from tryouts for the United States national team in advance of the
1988 Winter Olympics, but was later recalled and worked hard to be a role player on the team. During the pre-Olympic tour, Johannson played 60 games for the United States national team and scored 15 goals, 13 assists, and 28 points. In the
1988 Winter Olympics hockey tournament, he played in five of six games and one assist. The
Star Tribune described him as the "top penalty killer on the team" that finished in seventh place. He served as
captain of the team, scored two goals and had three assists in five games played, and led the United States to the silver medal. hosted ice hockey games at the 1992 Winter Olympics.|alt=Winter panorama including the village skyline, surrounding mountains and ski hills Johannson was named to the United States national team which played a 64-game schedule during the 1991–92 season prior to
ice hockey at the 1992 Winter Olympics. He was the second oldest player on the team, and became a source of advice and leadership. His teammate
Keith Tkachuk said, "[Johannson] could do almost anything for a team. He had skill, but he was a responsible guy who you could put on the ice in the last minute of a game. He was a player you relied on". The United States lost to the
Unified Team by a 5–2 score in the semifinals, which Johannson felt was the most disappointing loss he had played in due to five penalties against called against the United States. Two months later, Johannson was a member of the United States national team at the
1992 Men's Ice Hockey World Championships in Prague, which saw a seventh-place finish for the United States.
Playing statistics Regular season and playoffs Career playing statistics:
International International tournament statistics: ==Twin Cities Vulcans==