Jack Johnson

John Joseph Louis Johnson III (born January 13, 1987) is an American professional ice hockey defenseman who is currently playing for the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League (NHL).

He has previously played for the Los Angeles Kings, Columbus Blue Jackets, Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Rangers, and Chicago Blackhawks.

In his prime, he was a capable two-way defenseman, combining physical prowess and offensive capability.

Johnson won the Stanley Cup with the Avalanche in 2022.

As a sophomore during the 2002–03 hockey season, Johnson scored 15 goals and 27 assists as he helped the school's Midget Major AAA team win the U.S. National Championship along with current NHL player and former teammate Sidney Crosby.

Following two years with the USA Hockey National Team Development Program, Johnson was selected third overall by the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft.

After a year at the University of Michigan, his rights were traded to the Los Angeles Kings.

He played another year at Michigan before signing his first professional contract with the Kings.

Johnson was drafted by the Carolina Hurricanes in the first round, third overall, in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft from the Team USA under-18 national team, but did not immediately jump to the NHL, instead playing for the University of Michigan in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA).

In his freshman season, Johnson set school records for points (32) and penalty minutes (149) by a freshman defenseman.

After his freshman season, however, with the Hurricanes needing a defenseman and Johnson having committed to another collegiate season (the Hurricanes had tried to sign him after his freshman season ended), his rights were traded on September 29, 2006, along with Oleg Tverdovsky, to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for Tim Gleason and Éric Bélanger.

After his rights were traded, Johnson played one more season for the Wolverines, setting the school record for the most goals (16) by a sophomore defenseman in a single season and was named the CCHA Offensive Defenseman of the Year.

During his tenure at Michigan, Johnson became a fan favorite for his physicality and end-to-end play.

After Michigan lost in the West Regional Semi-finals of the 2007 NCAA Tournament, rather than return to Michigan and finish the semester, Johnson jumped to the NHL and signed his entry-level contract with the Kings in March 2007, making his NHL debut on March 29 against the Vancouver Canucks.

He played five games on the season, recording 18 penalty minutes and no points.

Johnson recorded his first NHL point on October 10, 2007, assisting a Kyle Calder goal in a loss to the Dallas Stars.

His first goal came on October 19, 2007, against goaltender Roberto Luongo of the Vancouver Canucks.

Johnson scored three goals and eight assists that season.

Early in the 2008–09 season, Johnson suffered a shoulder injury that required surgery and missed 41 games.

During the 2009–10 season, Johnson greatly improved his game, scoring eight goals and 28 assists, second only to Drew Doughty in defensive scoring for the Kings.

Johnson has represented the United States on the international stage multiple times, most notably playing for Team USA at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

Johnson's family moved to Bloomfield Hills, Michigan from Indianapolis shortly after he was born.

He grew up playing for Little Caesar's in minor hockey.

Johnson transferred to Shattuck-Saint Mary's Boarding School in Faribault, Minnesota before his eighth-grade year.

His play earned him a selection to the Team USA at the 2010 Olympics, along with Kings' captain Dustin Brown; the two eventually won the silver medal.

He ended the 2010–11 season with a career-high 42 points, ranking sixth among all Kings skaters.

On January 8, 2011, Johnson signed a seven-year extension with the Kings.

At the time of the deal, Johnson led all Kings' defensemen in points scored with four goals and 24 assists.

The contract carried an annual $4.3 million salary cap hit.

In February 2012, he was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets after five seasons in Los Angeles.

His 2011–12 season with the Kings, however, was a tough one, as he failed to score at the pace he set in the previous season, recording only 24 points in 61 games by February 12, 2012.

On February 23, 2012, Johnson was traded by the Kings to the Columbus Blue Jackets, along with a conditional first-round draft pick (Marko Daňo), in exchange for Jeff Carter.

Upon arriving in Columbus, Johnson took the jersey number 7, which had previously been worn by Carter.

During a March 8 game against his former team, the Kings, the Blue Jackets offered their fans a one night offer to have their Carter jersey nameplates changed to "J. Johnson" nameplates for free.

Playing in 21 games for the Jackets after his trade, he recorded four goals and ten assists, for a total of 14 points.

Johnson declared that he had no hard feelings in leaving Los Angeles, given that "people [in Columbus] accepting me with such open arms," and "I was looking forward to my new opportunity and getting the chance to play and be myself in Columbus."

Johnson added that he did not follow the Kings' subsequent run to win the Stanley Cup, as he was in Finland playing for Team USA at the 2012 IIHF World Championship.

With the 2012–13 NHL lockout halting play to start the year, Johnson spent the lockout training so he would be in the top shape once the game returned.

In 2018, he signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins in free agency.

But after two disappointing campaigns, he was bought out by the Penguins and he signed a one-year contract with the Rangers.