At the beginning of the season, Cleveland Monsters netminder Cam Johnson was cut from Columbus Blue Jackets training camp for not meeting the team’s physical standards. Since then, with a little bit of luck and hard work, Johnson has slowly worked his way up from the Florida Everblades (ECHL) to the Monsters. I sat down with Johnson after the Monsters’ thrilling 2-1 overtime win against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms to discuss how his offseason went and how he feels things are going for him at this point in the season.
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Full Press Coverage: Before we start, were you injured last year?
Cam Johnson: No, I was healthy. Just didn’t get in there last year.
FPC: What did you do in the offseason training-wise and to keep you mentally ready for the upcoming season, since you didn’t play much last season?
CJ: It was hard. I think by the time I ended up playing a game in Florida it was like 11 months, 10 or 11 months, since I played my last game. So, it’s always hard not playing games, and games are kind of where you put everything together. It’s a blessing being on the taxi squad last year. I got to work with Manny Legace and the staff there. They’re unbelievable guys. And obviously, you’re playing in the best league in the world. A lot of good learning experiences.
Last year was tough after not playing games. Then, this summer after not playing any games for the whatever it was six, seven months of the season, it kind of wears on you. I know at the beginning of the summer I just kind of wanted to step away from the game. I just needed some time to reboot and recalculate my mind. I wanted to come back fresh.
So, at the beginning of summer, I kind of took my time getting back into it. But you know, once I got back into it, just gradually ramping it up until you get to the season. I just did my pretty standard. I got a gym back home and I live in the Michigan area, there’s a ton of good players that live down there. So, it’s really easy to get on the ice and get some good workouts in.
FPC: Were there any conversations with coaches or management from either team, kind of like checking in with you this summer at all? Kind of gauging and assessing where you might be leading up to training camp?
CJ: A little bit. It’s kind of like, the end of last year they had a plan for me or for you know, here’s what you’re looking at. So, make sure you obviously come back and you’re ready to go with that. There’s not too much communication in the summer. I got the occasional call from Manny Legace and he lives in Michigan, too. I actually golf with him a couple of times to kind of see him throughout the summer.
But you know, as a whole they just kind of expect you to be a professional. You got to come back and be the best shape you can be. It’s part of the job and it is what it is.
FPC: After training camp, were there discussions about what to do to get you back up to the NHL level, or is it just something that’s up to you now?
CJ: It kind of falls down to me, my play, and how I handle my situation. I kind of got dealt a tough set of cards at the start of the year. I know they weren’t too happy with me. It’s like they say, ‘I gain trust in drops and I lose it in buckets.’ It’s tough at times. But again, it’s about being a pro. It’s about doing what you need to do and obviously I had a good long look in the mirror and it ended up working out where I got back up here and able to play some games now.
Push comes to shove, it’s some good learning lessons. It got me back here.
FPC: How do you feel like you’re settling in here? It’s pretty much a revolving door. But all the goalies have been really solid.
CJ: It’s been nice here, especially with both the guys gone here: Jet Greaves and J-F Berube. It’s been able to give me the load here. I’ve been able to kind of show them that I can play and show them my stuff. And when push comes to shove, I can carry the load in the worst case scenario. When I was coming back up here, I just wanted to make their decision as tough as possible.
And it’s a good group of guys here. I’ve kind of been around now for a couple years, so I know everybody. I know the staff and everything. Every time I come down here it’s really comfortable.
FPC: Can you describe the relationship you have with the defense? It seems like they really step up and you guys communicate really well.
CJ: Yeah, the defense is unreal. I love our d-core here. They’re all great guys. Defense and goalies go hand-in-hand, so I like having a good relationship with my d-men. They know that I’m back there and I know that they’re in front of me,
You know, just good communication. We got a good group of guys in the locker room, so it makes it pretty easy playing with those guys. It makes my job easier. The communication and how sharp those guys are every day.
We got a great d-core and it makes my job a lot easier.
FPC: Some of the things I’ve noticed about you is you’re very low key with your saves. You’re not super flashy unless you really need to be and you’re really good at tracking the puck with your eyes, not your body. Are those things that come easily to you, or did you have to work a lot to get to it?
CJ: I think it’s always just something that’s came natural to me. I’ve always been kind of good at reading plays and just being a goalie. When push comes to shove, your job is to stop the puck. I’ve been fortunate enough; I was blessed with a nice skill set. But obviously, you still have to work at it. The guys that don’t want to work are the guys that get passed up as you progress.
It’s something I’ve had to work at, but I’ve played at a lot of high levels and I played a lot of good spots with a lot of good coaches. Over time, I think it’s definitely evolved but I was definitely born with some extra attributes that definitely helped me out.
FPC: And then I have one final question. I saw a quote from an interview you did with Estero Life Magazine in December of 2020. You said, “I played for the love of the game. I quit worrying about what level I was at”. Is this still your mindset today?
CJ: Yeah, it is, especially once you get to pro hockey. It’s tough. It’s a business; It’s really cutthroat at times. Sometimes they tell you one thing and do another. You know, it’s all mental, especially being a goalie. It’s a mental position. So, any added stress or added pressure you add to yourself is double being back there. I’ve just kind of developed the mentality over the past few years and it’s tough at times. But you know, if you have that mentality like, ‘Whatever, screw it.’ Whatever happens, happens. So, I definitely still operate with that motto.