Jack Johnson officially retires, hired by Canucks as pro scout
The Vancouver Canucks announced Monday that they have hired long-time NHL defenseman and Stanley Cup champion Jack Johnson as a pro scout. The move signals Johnson’s official retirement as a player.
General Manager Patrik Allvin announced today that the #Canucks have hired Jack Johnson as a pro-scout.
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) January 5, 2026Johnson, 38, played in the NHL as recently this preseason, when he was on a profession tryout (PTO) with the Minnesota Wild. Last season, he put up six assists over 41 games for the Columbus Blue Jackets, averaging just under 13 minutes of ice time.
The Bloomfield Hills, Michigan native had an enduring and successful 19-year NHL career. Over 1,228 career games, Johnson put up 77 goals and 265 assists for 342 points. He has played the 6th most games all-time among American-born defensemen. In 2022, his 16th NHL season, he won the Stanley Cup as a member of the Colorado Avalanche.
Johnson was also the victim of the predatory financial practices of his parents. His mother, who was made his power of attorney in 2011, took out several loans against his future earnings and left him over $6 million in debt. Johnson eventually settled with his creditors in 2016.
Initially drafted third overall by the Carolina Hurricanes in 2005, Johnson was traded to the Los Angeles Kings while he was still playing collegiately for the University of Michigan. He spent his first four-plus full-time NHL seasons with Los Angeles, including a career-best campaign in 2010-11 when he put up five goals and 37 assists for 42 points in 82 games.
Partway through the 2011-12 season, Johnson was traded along with a first-round pick to the Blue Jackets in exchange for forward Jeff Carter. He played six more seasons with Columbus before signing as an unrestricted free agent with the Pittsburgh Penguins ahead of the 2018-19 season.
After two seasons in Pittsburgh, Johnson spent one injury-shortened year with the New York Rangers. For the 2021-22 season, he signed a one-year deal with the Avalanche following a PTO, and would go on to win the Stanley Cup.
Johnson then signed as a free agent with the Chicago Blackhawks, where he played just 58 games before finishing his career with second stints in Colorado and Columbus.