When Erik Johnson agreed to return to the Philadelphia Flyers on a one-year, $1 million contract after 16 years in the NHL, he knew he'd be taking on a smaller role than he'd ever played before.
The 36-year-old Johnson was the first overall pick in the 2006 NHL Draft and has since developed into a tough, rugged, time-hungry defenseman with the St. Louis Blues and Colorado Avalanche. Flyers general manager Danny Briere said Johnson's Stanley Cup win with the Avalanche was a big factor in his return and the 6-foot-4 defenseman is ready to use his experience to help lead the next generation of Flyers hockey.
“It's definitely a little bit different. That's what happens when you're in the league a long time. Believe it or not, I'm almost in my 18th year. I think in this league you have to adapt,” Johnson said during a virtual press conference on Wednesday morning. “I came into the league as a young guy, almost exclusively a power-play offensive guy, and now I've transitioned into a defensive penalty-kill guy. You have to adapt to stay in the league and evolve.”
“I talked to Tolz at the end of the season, I talked to Danny, I talked to my agent, Pat (Brisson) … they were like, 'This is going to be your role,' and I told them, honestly, I'm open to whatever role it is. I'm here to help them, on and off the ice, whether it's 20, 30, 40, 50 games or however many games I have. The days of playing 25, 26 minutes a night are gone and I know that and I'm happy with that. I love the game and I love being on the rink so I've never thought about (retirement). I'm going to play as long as I can.”
Johnson is on his third team of the calendar year after being traded to Philadelphia at the NHL trade deadline, playing 67 regular season games with the Flyers and Buffalo Sabres in 2023-24. Despite all the bouncing around, Johnson's passion for hockey is clear, and the Bloomington, Minnesota native is 13 games away from reaching the prestigious milestone of playing 1,000 games.
Johnson added: “It definitely affected me (to play again). Even if I had 1,000 points, I'd definitely want to go back and play another year. I've talked to a lot of guys that have decided to retire and it's their choice and they all said, 'Wait until they tell you it's no more, don't do it yourself, just let them rip your jersey off.' So, as long as my body is good and the passion is still there, I'm going to play as long as I can. Now as I'm in the gym preparing for next season, that drive is still there.”
“1,000 games means a lot, but at the end of the day, if you include the playoffs, I've played over 1,000 games. If I hadn't had my injuries, I'd be at about 1,200 by now. It's been a tough journey, but I'm still enjoying it. I'd be very happy if I could get to 1,000 games. It's not going to be easy, but it's not the only reason I'm coming back.”
The grind will be a bit different for Johnson now that he's embraced his new role as mentor of the Flyers, especially the young defensemen he names, but coaching a young star in Matvey Mishukov who is essentially in a new country for the first time presents a new challenge and leadership test for Johnson.
“I've been trying my best to communicate with him on Instagram and it's pretty easy with the translation tools. So I've been trying to communicate with him on Instagram and make him feel comfortable. If he has any questions, I'll answer them. Even as an American who came into the league at 19, like in 2007, I was super nervous being around older guys.”
“Just being in a new city, a new country, new language, new food, new things, new rules, new ice sheet, all of that stuff, it's very challenging. I can't imagine how hard it is for a young kid like Matvey coming from Russia. I know him a little bit and like I said, I talk to him on Instagram and try to help him out as much as I can. It looks like Philadelphia has had a great player for a long time.”
