Johnstone, a veteran of the Newfoundland Growlers, has made his way from the ECHL to the AHL and is now an NHL call-up with the Pittsburgh Penguins

Marc Johnstone could be nearing his long-awaited NHL debut. 

From joining the USHL at 19, to spending four seasons with Sacred Heart University of the AHA, to being cut from the ECHL after turning pro, to inking a deal with the Newfoundland Growlers which he parlayed into an AHL deal with the Toronto Marlies, to finally being signed by the Penguins and now playing his way into his potential NHL debut, Marc Johnstone has earned every inch of the ice he's played on. 

In an interview with The Hockey News Leafs correspondent Nick Barden last summer, Johnstone broke down his path to the NHL, which included being cut from the South Carolina Stingrays of the ECHL.

"I was told I was going to play a lot. So when I got cut right from there, after four games, it was pretty tough," Johnstone shared in the interview.

"I was pretty disappointed, obviously with getting cut, especially after four games. A lot goes through your head, you don't know if you are actually good enough and I was obviously doubting myself getting cut so early into pro hockey."

Signing with the Growlers in 2021-22, Johnstone put up 21 points in 58 games, earning a look with the AHL's Toronto Marlies, where he'd bank nine goals and 22 points in 69 games in 2022-23.

The effort earned Johnstone a two-year contract with the Penguins this offseason, where he's collected two goals and five points across 21 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. 

At 27, and potentially on the cusp of his NHL debut, Johnstone has taken the long road to living the dream of every hockey player who laces up a pair of skates. 

Simply put, Marc Johnstone has earned the moment