The Wilkes-Barre/ Scranton Penguins of the American Hockey League (AHL) made a significant signing for the upcoming season, adding goaltender Cam Johnson to the team for the 2026-27 season. Johnson has been elite in the ECHL, racking up numerous accolades. He has spent time in the AHL before and looks to make a bigger impact with the baby Penguins.
What makes Johnson so good?
Johnson is an ECHL veteran and has played in many big games, coming up clutch every time. He has won four Kelly Cup championships and in those victories picked up three June M. Kelley Awards for playoff MVP, becoming the first player in league history to win three. He previously won back-to-back awards in 2022 and 2023. During last season's playoffs, he posted a record of 16-4 with a .932 save percentage, a 1.88 goals against average, and three shutouts.
His dominance was not a playoff string of good luck. He also posted a record of 31-9-9 with a 1.84 goals against average, a .923 save percentage, and three shutouts in the regular season. The 6-foot-1 and 205-pound 32-year-old is also a two-time winner of the Nick Vitucci Award for ECHL Goaltender of the Year.
What next season may look like for Johnson
Johnson previously played in the AHL over the past few seasons, playing with the Binghamton Devils, Cleveland Monsters, and Charlotte Checkers. In those stops, he recorded a record of 18-258 with a 3.59 goals against average, an .879 save percentage, and one shutout in 53 AHL games. Will this time be a more successful run than those in the past?
He has had much better success in the ECHL, posting a record of 154-64-30 with a 2.22 goals against average, a .918 save percentage, and 20 shutouts. While he is 32 years old, he has plenty of gas left in the tank. He does have the ability to go on a run like he did last season as he does have experience in the higher AHL league. Training camp for the AHL Penguins is going to be huge for Johnson as that may determine if he is a starter or a backup.
Wilkes-Barre/ Scranton has not done much this season in signing goaltenders. this could be due to the fact they will likely see a goaltender from the Pittsburgh Penguins. he has done all he can in the ECHL, so this although a big step, is a step he must take to build that reputation of being an elite goaltender. This is a huge signing for the AHL Penguins and is a step in the right direction. he is worthy of playing some games where he completely steals the show and he is not afraid to put any team on his back and play an excellent game. Johnson came into the ECHL as a relatively unknown goaltender who rose to glory by simply playing his game. Now in the AHL, he is expected to do the same. he is one to keep an eye on as the preseason gets closer.
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