Tyler Johnson (ice hockey)
Undrafted forward who won back-to-back Stanley Cups with Tampa Bay.
Tyler Johnson, an American forward, was born on July 29, 1990, and is now a former professional ice hockey player. He went undrafted but played the bulk of his NHL career with the Tampa Bay Lightning, where he won consecutive Stanley Cup titles in 2020 and 2021. Johnson also spent three seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks and had a short stint with the Boston Bruins.
In major junior hockey, the Spokane Chiefs selected Johnson in the 11th round of the 2005 WHL Bantam Draft. During his first season in 2007–08, he played 69 regular-season games, notching 13 goals and 29 assists. That year, the Chiefs won the Ed Chynoweth Cup as league champions and later captured the 2008 Memorial Cup with a 4–1 victory over the Kitchener Rangers. Johnson appeared in all 21 playoff games, scoring five goals and three assists, and was named WHL playoffs Most Valuable Player as a 17-year-old rookie. The following season, he put up 26 goals and 35 assists in 62 games, adding five goals and three assists in 12 playoff contests. In 2009–10, his numbers improved to 36 goals and 35 assists over 64 games, with three goals and five assists in seven playoff outings. His best junior campaign came in 2010–11, when he became the 15th Chiefs player to reach 100 points, finishing with 53 goals and 62 assists—career highs in all three categories. He led the WHL in goals and ranked second in points, topped his team in power-play and shorthanded goals, and posted a plus-27 rating. Johnson earned WHL Player of the Month honors for December 2010 and was voted Best Overage Player, Top Defensive Forward, Best Skater, and Top Faceoff Man in the Best of the West 2011 poll.
Johnson signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning in March 2011. His smaller stature was widely cited as the reason he went undrafted. He spent the 2011–12 season with the Norfolk Admirals, Tampa Bay’s top AHL affiliate. In March, he recorded a 13-game scoring streak—the longest by an AHL rookie in over six years—earning the Reebok/AHL Player of the Month award. Johnson was instrumental in Norfolk’s record 28-game winning streak, a professional hockey record, and helped the team win its only Calder Cup championship. The next season, he played mostly with the Lightning’s new AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch, leading the league in goals and being named regular-season MVP.
Quick Facts
- Birth Date
- 1990-07-29
- Birth Place
- Liberty Lake, Washington, U.S.
- Height Ft
- 5
- Height In
- 8
- Weight Lb
- 185
- Position
- Center
- Shoots
- Right
- Played For
- Tampa Bay Lightning / Chicago Blackhawks / Boston Bruins
- Ntl Team
- USA
- Draft
- Undrafted
- Career Start
- 2011
- Career End
- 2024
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Johnson played major-junior hockey for the Spokane Chiefs of the WHL, selected in the 11th round of the 2005 WHL Bantam Draft. In his rookie season (2007–08), he helped the Chiefs win the Ed Chynoweth Cup and the 2008 Memorial Cup, earning WHL playoffs MVP as a 17-year-old. He later became the 15th Chiefs player to reach 100 points in a season (2010–11), finishing with career highs of 53 goals, 62 assists, and 115 points. Despite his WHL success, Johnson went undrafted due to his smaller size. He signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning in March 2011. In the AHL, he led Norfolk to a record 28-game winning streak and a Calder Cup in 2011–12, and the next season led the AHL in goals and was named MVP. He made his NHL debut on March 14, 2013, and scored his first goal two days later. In his rookie NHL season (2013–14), he posted 24 goals and 26 assists for 50 points and was a Calder Memorial Trophy nominee. The following season, he formed the 'Triplets' line with Nikita Kucherov and Ondřej Palát, scoring 29 goals and 43 assists, finishing 15th in NHL points, and being selected for the All-Star Game. During the 2015 playoffs, he set multiple Lightning records, including most multi-goal games in a single playoff series (three) and the first hat-trick in Lightning playoff history. He played through a broken wrist in the 2015 Stanley Cup Finals. Johnson recorded his 100th career NHL goal on December 31, 2017, and his 500th career NHL game on December 28, 2019. He won the Stanley Cup with Tampa Bay in 2020 and 2021. On July 27, 2021, he was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks, where a neck injury and concussion limited him to 26 games in 2021–22. He signed a professional tryout with the Boston Bruins on August 31, 2024, and later a one-year contract on November 4, 2024. After recording two assists in nine games, the Bruins placed him on unconditional waivers on December 19, 2024; he cleared and became a free agent. He announced his retirement on July 7, 2025.
Reader's Guide
Tyler Johnson's career is notable for his undrafted rise to becoming a key contributor on a Stanley Cup dynasty. Despite being overlooked due to his size, he excelled at every level: WHL playoffs MVP, AHL MVP and Calder Cup champion, and NHL All-Rookie Team selection. His 'Triplets' line with Kucherov and Palát was a defining unit of the Lightning's early-2010s success. Johnson's playoff performances in 2015, including a hat-trick and multiple multi-goal games, set franchise records. He played through a broken wrist during the 2015 Stanley Cup Finals, demonstrating durability. His back-to-back Stanley Cup wins in 2020 and 2021 cemented his legacy as a winner. After being traded to Chicago, injuries limited his production. His brief stint with Boston ended with a contract termination, and he retired shortly after. Johnson's career exemplifies how determination and skill can overcome the lack of a draft selection, and his statistical achievements—such as ranking among the Lightning's all-time leaders in goals and points—underscore his impact.
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