The Vancouver Canucks announced Monday that longtime NHL defenseman Jack Johnson will join the franchise as a pro scout.
Johnson, 38, appeared in 41 games for the Columbus Blue Jackets last season, the last of his 19-year NHL career. While he never made an official announcement that he’s retiring, this all but confirms it. Johnson attended the Minnesota Wild’s training camp on a professional tryout four months ago but was cut and could not land a contract elsewhere.
The three-year veteran of the Avalanche was a member of the 2022 Stanley Cup championship team. Johnson was one of the more well-liked veterans in the locker room during his tenure with the Avs.
Of his 1,228 career games, he spent 179 of them with the Avs. He also appeared in 27 postseason games over a three-year stretch, which included the last 11 of Colorado’s Stanley Cup championship run in 2022.
Johnson is a former Michigan Wolverine. He was drafted No. 3 overall in 2005 by the Carolina Hurricanes. Most of his career was spent with the Blue Jackets and the Los Angeles Kings. He also made stops in Pittsburgh, New York, and Chicago.
