Dallas Stars' Stephen Johns becomes emotional after scoring first goal since head injury
Stephen Johns wasn't sure he'd ever experience the feeling of scoring an NHL goal again.
Johns had been sidelined for 22 months because of post-traumatic headaches. But the 27-year-old defenseman returned last month for the Dallas Stars, and on Monday, he whipped his first score since Feb. 16, 2018, past New York Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist.
"Waited a long time. Thought a lot about possibly never doing that again," an emotional Johns told reporters after the game. "Helping this team at a crucial moment in the game, just couldn't be happier."
After the goal, Johns pointed to his parents, who were sitting in the Madison Square Garden crowd — the first time they'd seen him play following the arduous recovery.
"Throughout this whole process, it wasn't just me going through hell," said Johns, who returned Jan. 18 after not playing since March 29, 2018. "As parents, they want to help but couldn't. I know they were hurting the whole time I was too."
He also shouted them out on Twitter for their support during his time away from the game.
"A night I’ll never forget. Tried to hold in the emotions, but the only thing I could think of all night were my parents sitting in the crowd," he wrote. "If you know Ray & Noreen and their passion for traveling to watch me play for the last 20 years, you understand."