Jack Johnson (ice hockey)
Two-way defenseman who won the Stanley Cup with Colorado in 2022.
Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons
John Joseph Louis Johnson III (born January 13, 1987) is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman who spent 19 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Los Angeles Kings, Columbus Blue Jackets, Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Rangers, Colorado Avalanche, and Chicago Blackhawks. At his peak, he was known as a two-way defenseman, blending physical play with offensive skill. Johnson won the Stanley Cup with the Avalanche in 2022.
Johnson grew up in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, after his family moved there from Indianapolis shortly after his birth. He played minor hockey for Little Caesar's and transferred to Shattuck-Saint Mary's Boarding School in Faribault, Minnesota before eighth grade. As a sophomore in the 2002–03 season, he scored 15 goals and 27 assists, helping the school's Midget Major AAA team win the U.S. National Championship alongside future NHL player Sidney Crosby.
The Carolina Hurricanes selected Johnson third overall in the 2005 NHL entry draft from the Team USA under-18 national team. Instead of jumping straight to the NHL, he played for the University of Michigan in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA). In his freshman season, he set school records for points (32) and penalty minutes (149) by a freshman defenseman. After that season, the Hurricanes traded his rights, along with Oleg Tverdovsky, to the Los Angeles Kings on September 29, 2006, in exchange for Tim Gleason and Éric Bélanger. Johnson then played one more year at Michigan, setting the school record for most goals (16) by a sophomore defenseman in a single season and earning CCHA Offensive Defenseman of the Year honors.
After Michigan lost in the West Regional Semi-finals of the 2007 NCAA Tournament, Johnson left college and signed his entry-level contract with the Kings in March 2007. He made his NHL debut on March 29 against the Vancouver Canucks, playing five games that season with 18 penalty minutes and no points. He recorded his first NHL point on October 10, 2007, assisting a Kyle Calder goal in a loss to the Dallas Stars, and scored his first goal on October 19, 2007, against Vancouver goaltender Roberto Luongo. He finished that season with three goals and eight assists. Early in the 2008–09 season, a shoulder injury required surgery and caused him to miss 41 games.
Quick Facts
- Birth Date
- 1987-01-13
- Birth Place
- Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.
- Height Ft
- 6
- Height In
- 1
- Weight Lb
- 227
- Position
- Defense
- Shoots
- Left
- Played For
- Los Angeles Kings / Columbus Blue Jackets / Pittsburgh Penguins / New York Rangers / Colorado Avalanche / Chicago Blackhawks
- Ntl Team
- USA
- Draft
- 3rd overall
- Draft Year
- 2005
- Draft Team
- Carolina Hurricanes
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Johnson grew up playing for Little Caesar's in minor hockey and transferred to Shattuck-Saint Mary's Boarding School before his eighth-grade year. As a sophomore during the 2002–03 season, he helped the school's Midget Major AAA team win the U.S. National Championship alongside Sidney Crosby. He was drafted third overall by the Carolina Hurricanes in 2005 but played for the University of Michigan, setting school records for points and penalty minutes by a freshman defenseman. His rights were traded to the Los Angeles Kings in September 2006, and he played one more season at Michigan before turning professional.
Johnson made his NHL debut with the Kings in March 2007. He signed a seven-year extension with the Kings in January 2011 but was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets in February 2012. In Columbus, he took jersey number 7 and was considered the de facto leader of the team during the 2012–13 season. He requested a trade in January 2018 but remained with the Blue Jackets past the trade deadline. He signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins as a free agent in July 2018, but after two disappointing campaigns, his contract was bought out. He then signed a one-year contract with the New York Rangers, where a core muscle repair surgery ended his season in March 2021.
Reader's Guide
Johnson's career spanned nearly two decades and included stops with six NHL teams. He was selected third overall in the 2005 draft and developed into a two-way defenseman known for combining physical play with offensive production. His most productive seasons came with the Los Angeles Kings, where he ranked second among team defensemen in scoring in 2009–10 and set a career-high 42 points in 2010–11. He represented the United States at the 2010 Winter Olympics, winning a silver medal.
After being traded to Columbus, Johnson became a leader on the Blue Jackets, serving as an alternate captain and nearly leading the team to the playoffs in the lockout-shortened 2013 season. He led all Blue Jackets players in playoff scoring during their 2014 first-round loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Later in his career, he signed with the Penguins and Rangers before joining the Colorado Avalanche on a professional tryout contract. He won the Stanley Cup with the Avalanche in 2022, capping a long career that also included a brief stint with the Chicago Blackhawks.
Did You Know?
- Johnson won a silver medal with Team USA at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
- He won the Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche in 2022.
More in Chicago Blackhawks Players 1-24
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