13-year veteran and two-time Stanley Cup champion Tyler Johnson has introduced his retirement from the NHL through his Instagram. Johnson’s final skilled sport might be marked on Dec. 12 when the Boston Bruins confronted the Seattle Kraken.
It’s becoming that Johnson’s final sport got here towards the Kraken. A local of Spokane, Washington, Johnson’s skilled profession started with humble beginnings, signing as an undrafted free agent with the Tampa Bay Lightning from the WHL’s Spokane Chiefs.
Becoming a member of a company that’s had overwhelming success with undersized and undrafted gamers up to now, Johnson excelled instantly within the Lightning group. Throughout his first season, he scored 31 targets and 68 factors in 75 video games for his or her AHL affiliate on the time, the Norfolk Admirals.
He would solely spend another season primarily enjoying within the AHL. Lastly incomes his probability at full-time duties on the NHL stage, Johnson impressed significantly throughout his rookie marketing campaign, scoring 24 targets and 50 factors in 82 contests in the course of the 2013-14 season, ending third in Calder Trophy voting.
Capitalizing on his breakout 12 months, Johnson and the Bolts agreed to a three-year, $10M contract the next offseason. Regardless of just a few battles with accidents, Johnson sustained his high quality two-way efforts all through that deal, scoring 62 targets and 155 factors in 212 video games, with just a few votes for the Selke Trophy alongside the way in which.
His playoff exploits earned him a spot as a fan-favorite in Tampa Bay, scoring 20 targets and 40 factors in 43 video games from 2015-16, serving to the Lightning to their first Stanley Cup Closing in 10 years in the course of the 2015 Stanley Cup playoffs. Though he couldn’t assist the Lightning recover from the hump towards a dominant Chicago Blackhawks crew, the Lightning have been able to put money into Johnson for the lengthy haul.
Johnson eagerly signed a long-term extension with Tampa Bay, securing a seven-year, $35M contract starting within the 2017-18 season. For a deal that seemed like a cut price when it was time, Johnson shortly wore out his welcome with the Lightning.
His offensive output cratered, ending with 72 targets and 150 factors in 281 video games since signing the contract, in addition to 11 targets and 23 factors in 69 extra video games. Though Johnson helped the Lightning to back-to-back Stanley Cup rings in 2020 and 2021, a number of gamers had handed him on the crew’s depth chart.
Needing extra wage cap house after the second half of their back-to-back, the Lightning traded Johnson and a 2023 second-round decide to the Blackhawks the next offseason for Brent Seabrook’s contract (which they’d later place on LTIR).
Taking part in on a far worse crew in Chicago, Johnson’s offensive output continued within the incorrect route, ending the remaining three years on his contract with 32 targets and 70 factors in 149 video games. After his contract expired, Johnson wanted to transform knowledgeable tryout settlement with the Bruins to safe a spot on an NHL roster.
Along with his title on the Stanley Cup twice, Johnson doubtless gained’t have many regrets about his NHL profession. He completed with 193 targets and 433 factors in 747 regular-season contests with a +19 ranking, 49.4% faceoff proportion, 49.7% CorsiFor% at even power and 91.7% on-ice save proportion at even power. Within the postseason, and solely with Tampa Bay, Johnson concluded his enjoying days with 32 targets and 65 factors in 116 contests with a +7 ranking.
We at PHR want Johnson the very best within the subsequent section of his life and profession, and we congratulate him on a profitable profession that features two Stanley Cup rings.
