When Jack Johnson's parents forced him to file for bankruptcy

NHL defenseman Jack Johnson's story is a cautionary tale of what can happen when parents feel entitled to their child's earnings. Over his NHL career, Johnson has earned $18 million. On Jan. 18, 2011, he signed a seven-year, $30.5 million contract, and on Oct. 7, he filed for bankruptcy.

According to court documents, Johnson's parents, Tina Johnson and Jack Johnson Sr., tried to monetize Johnson's contract by borrowing money secured against their son's future earnings. Tina borrowed at least $15 million across about 18 high-interest loans, resulting in multiple defaults.

Using their son's money, the parents also bought a beach house in Manhattan Beach, California. Each bought a car, spent more than $800,000 on upgrades to the Manhattan Beach property, and traveled often to see him play games for the Los Angeles Kings and Columbus Blue Jackets.

Johnson was not aware of certain purchases and was sued multiple times for defaulting on loans. His name was on the loans, so he was sued at least three times for more than $6 million for defaulting, as in the case of the mortgage on a house in Manhattan Beach, California.

In court documents, Johnson said his parents bought the house with his money but without his knowledge. Johnson would ask his parents questions, and they would tell him not to worry about it and just focus on playing hockey.

A look at Jack Johnson's NHL career

Jack Johnson is a seasoned NHL defenseman who has made a name for himself over the years with his consistent performances on the ice. Johnson's career has been marked by numerous achievements, including winning the Stanley Cup in 2022 with the Colorado Avalanche. He has played over 1,000 games and was voted the Best Newcomer and Outstanding Defenseman while he was with the Kings.

Johnson's career began in 2005 when he was selected by the Carolina Hurricanes as the third overall pick in the NHL draft. After attending the University of Michigan, Johnson made his debut with the Los Angeles Kings in 2007. He quickly established himself as a valuable asset, ranking first or second among Kings defensemen in points in three of the next four seasons.

In 2012, Johnson was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets, where he became more defense-oriented. He was a regular on the team's leaderboard for hits and blocks, and he led the Blue Jackets in points during the Stanley Cup playoffs in 2014.

After spending six seasons with the Blue Jackets, Johnson signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2018, where he was reunited with longtime friend Sidney Crosby. Johnson's tenure with the Penguins was brief, however, as he signed a one-year contract with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2022.

Jack Johnson's time with the Blackhawks was even shorter as he was traded back to the Colorado Avalanche in February 2023 for defenseman Andreas Englund.