Avalanche Re-Signs Jack Johnson

The Colorado Avalanche Hockey Club announced today that the team has re-signed defenseman Jack Johnson to a one-year contract for the 2023-24 season.

Johnson, 36, was acquired in a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks on Feb. 26 and skated in 25 games with Colorado last season, recording four points (2g/2a). He finished the 2022-23 regular season with eight points (2g/6a), skating in a career-high 83 combined contests with the Blackhawks and Avalanche. His 83 games ranked fourth in the NHL and trailed only Nashville's Tyson Barrie (85) among defensemen. The Indianapolis, Indiana, native has appeared in 1,107 career NHL games, tallying 320 points (74g/246a). He ranks 14th all-time among American-born defensemen in games played.

Johnson won the Stanley Cup with the Avalanche in 2021-22. After joining Colorado's training camp as a professional tryout (PTO), Johnson signed with the Avs and played in 74 regular-season games, notching nine points (1g/8a). He played his 1,000th NHL game on March 1 versus the New York Islanders, becoming the 363rd NHL player and 119th defenseman to reach the milestone. Johnson appeared in 13 postseason contests en route to the Stanley Cup Championship.

Entering what will be his 18th season in the NHL, Johnson's career has also included stints with the Los Angeles Kings, Columbus Blue Jackets, Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Rangers. He has dressed in 46 career Stanley Cup Playoff contests, notching 21 points (5g/16a).

Selected by Carolina with the third overall pick in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft, Johnson spent his first five-plus NHL seasons with the Kings after being acquired by Los Angeles on Sept. 29, 2006. He finished second among Kings defensemen with 36 points (8g/28a) in 2009-10 and led all Kings blueliners with 42 points (5g/37a) in 2010-11. Johnson was traded to the Blue Jackets on Feb. 23, 2012.

With the Blue Jackets, Johnson finished first among Columbus defensemen in hits (180) and blocks (127) in 2013-14 and was first in blocks (131) in 2014-15. He led the Blue Jackets with seven points (3g/4a) during the 2014 playoffs. The left-shot defender signed as a free agent with Pittsburgh on July 1, 2018 and spent two seasons with the Penguins before joining the Rangers as a free agent on Oct. 9, 2020.

Johnson has appeared in all 82 games on six different occasions during his career, 2010-11 with Los Angeles, 2011-12 with Los Angeles and Columbus, 2013-14 and 2016-17 with Columbus, 2018-19 with Pittsburgh and this past season, where he appeared in a career-high 83 contests.

A product of the United States National Team Development Program, Johnson won a silver medal with Team USA at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver. He has also represented his country at five IIHF World Championships (2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012), two IIHF World Junior Championships (2006, 2007), two IIHF Under-18 World Championships (2004, 2005) and the World Cup of Hockey (2016). He served as captain of the U.S. Men's National Team at both the 2010 and 2012 IIHF World Championships. Johnson won gold at the 2005 IIHF World Junior Championship, silver at the 2004 IIHF Under-18 World Championship and bronze at the 2007 IIHF World Junior Championship.

Johnson made his NHL debut with the Kings on March 29, 2007 after completing his sophomore season at the University of Michigan. He was named to the CCHA All-Rookie Team in 2005-06 after setting a school freshman record for points with 32 (10g/22a). He followed that up by being named to the CCHA First All-Star Team and NCAA West First All-American Team as a sophomore in 2006-07.