Originally posted Mar 30, 2019.
It was said in middle English in the 1300s that “all good things must come to an end”.
Seems fitting that in 2019, we use the phrase to describe the end of an era with the Red Deer Rebels.
With the team falling in four games to the Prince Albert Raiders, it meant the end of what had been nearly eight years of the brothers Johnson being part of the team in Red Deer. It is a bittersweet ending to a pair of careers that started in similar ways and had very different endings in central Alberta.
They are the eighth set of brothers or family members to play for the Rebels, a list that includes the Clagues (Jason and Michael), Deagles (Jordie and Brad), Elsons (Trace and Turner), Pouliots (Sam and Ryan), Sutters (Brandon, Brett and Lukas), Vandermeers (Jim, Pete and Ted) and the Woywitkas (Jeff and Mark).
Back on September 12, 2011 the Red Deer Rebels, led by GM/Head Coach Brent Sutter, added a young forward from Saskatoon. Wyatt Johnson had been passed over in the Western Hockey League bantam draft but had made an impact on the Saskatoon Blazers Midget AAA team in the SMHL. In 42 games, he scored 14 goals and added 31 assists.
Johnson made his WHL debut in a game against the Kelowna Rockets on October 26, 2012. It didn’t take long for him to make his mark on the team as the very next night he notched his first assist. A few nights later, he scored his first goal, the game winner against a team he would become familiar with later in his career – the Spokane Chiefs.
As a 16-year-old he went on to score 10 times and add 10 assists. The Rebels made the playoffs that spring and Johnson contributed two assists over the nine games.
When he returned for his 17-year-old season, it was clear he wanted to be an impact player and he showed it by playing hard minutes, killing penalties and sticking up for his teammates when needed. His point totals rose to 14 goals and 17 assists.
It was the 2014-15 season that Johnson really came to the forefront of the team, as a leader and point-producer. The team gave Johnson the assistant-captain role early in the year and he ran with it. He added 25 goals and 29 assists playing in all but one regular season game.
During his 20-year-old season, Wyatt dealt with injuries while being named captain of the Rebels part way through the 2015-16 season. It was also the year the team hosted the Memorial Cup. Days before the trade deadline, Wyatt was packaged up with Eli Zummack and two draft choices for Adam Helewka of the Spokane Chiefs.
The injuries limited Johnson to just nine game with the Chiefs. He scored three times and added four assists. His WHL tenure was over following that season. He has since spent three seasons with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies. In 54 games he has 25 points.
Reese Johnson was invited to Rebels main camp in 2013 and was listed by the team. He also attended camp in 2014 before being returned to the Saskatoon Blazers Midget AAA team. With 23 goals and 15 assists in 43 games, Reese was added to the Red Deer Rebels roster following his team’s season.
Reese made his debut in the burgundy, black and white on February 25, 2015. He played 12 games with the team to end the season and scored twice, his first WHL goal coming on February 28, 2015 against the Lethbridge Hurricanes.
The next season Reese returned to the lineup full-time as a 17-year-old. He only saw action in 36 games and had his season ended in early February when he injured his shoulder. He tallied three goals and three assists in limited action.
By the time the 2016-17 season rolled around, Johnson was ready to show the hockey world what he was made of. Unfortunately, a second injury derailed his season before it began. In the pre-season, yet another should injury did him in. Johnson did recover in time to play in three playoff games for the Rebels.
“Those two years, the first injury and then the second one, it was tough times thinking back to those,” Reese said. “But, it made me a stronger person and better player coming back from those injuries.
“I had lots of good people working with me, the skills guys and Brent (Sutter) helped me though it all. We went through some tough times, me and him.”
For the 2017-18 season the young Johnson was able to get into the lineup and stay there, the injury bug seemingly disappeared. He opened the season scoring in three straight games and didn’t look back, notching 23 goals to go with 16 assists. He was also a face off specialist, winning 56.3% of his draws. He also saw time on the power play and the penalty kill.
It was the spring before his 20-year-old season when he was named as captain of the team.
“Obviously being named captain last spring was a big honor,” he said. “It’s something I take pride in, leadership is a big thing, I have always looked forward to in life.”
“I like being a leader, it was a big honor especially being a captain of Brent Sutter’s team is pretty special.”
He also shone through on the score sheet piling up 27 goals and 26 assists. He scored three hat tricks and 
was the best face off taker in the WHL among players with more than 300 face offs. His 65.3% was truly remarkable, as he took 1488 face offs, many of them while killing penalties.
“I cant say enough about Red Deer,” Johnson said. “I have learned a lot over the years – I mean, not just the hockey side of it. I think I learned more about life over the years than I did about hockey and I learnt a lot about hockey.
“That just tells you how much I learned about life. I can’t thank Red Deer enough for what they have done. They got me to where I am today, moving onto pro.”
Reese’s play throughout the season earned him an National Hockey League contract with the Chicago Blackhawks and when the Rebels season ended last week, he was assigned to the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL.
“I think for the most part I am going to remember all the boys,” Johnson said. “I think it was a special group. It’s sad that its over now but it was a good group. I think it is one of the best I have seen in my years in Red Deer.”
The brothers, Wyatt and Reese, were only able to play together in 42 regular season games over two seasons. While they were unable to hit the score sheet on the same goal in those games, it is safe to say they made their mark on the fans and the Red Deer Rebels franchise.
