Erik Johnson's Day with the Stanley Cup

"Sometimes the best things are worth waiting a long time for."
For Erik Johnson, the wait was in his words, "Definitely worth it," as he and the Colorado Avalanche hoisted the Stanley Cup this past June and cemented their names in hockey history.

Johnson's individual journey to becoming an eventual Stanley Cup Champion didn't transpire without his own share of trying adversity in sacrifices, failures and heartbreak over the years as the longest tenured member of the organization. The 34-year-old and former first overall pick from the 2006 NHL Entry Draft began his career in St. Louis in 2007. After facing a rough patch of knee injuries upon tearing his ACL and suffering a tear to his MCL, the defenseman was traded to the Avalanche in 2010, where he has been a mainstay since.
Throughout his time with the Avalanche over the last 12 seasons, Johnson has not only added a veteran presence as the longest standing member, but has been a consistent staple in the wake of some of the team's lowest of lows - including their 48-point season in 2016-17 - over the course of their rebuild, en route to becoming a top team amongst the league and eventually, accomplishing the ultimate victory of hoisting the Cup. It was no surprise that after receiving the Stanley Cup and being the first member to hoist it following Colorado's Game 6 win over Tampa Bay on June 26, Colorado captain Gabriel Landeskog handed it off to Johnson.

"I saw a few lows with the team," Johnson reflected. "I'm not a super patient person and my patience was tested during some of those times, but I always liked the organization and the city. I just wanted to stick it out. It all made it worth it just waiting and ultimately getting the job done with the team. Sometimes the best things are worth waiting a long time for. It was definitely worth it."
As each of his teammates spent their own respective days with the Stanley Cup - most of which took it back to their hometowns - Johnson waited patiently for his day as he was the final player among the team on the calendar with a date of Sept. 3. Despite being from Minnesota - where his parents still live and split the year between there and southern California - Johnson was compelled to keep the Cup for part of the day in Colorado and then take it to San Diego for the evening, both being spots where he's established his firm roots among this chapter of his life.
"I wanted to implement my favorite things together as best I could in a short amount of time," Johnson explained. "I really wanted to have some of it in Denver because Denver is my home now, I've lived here for over 12 years. I wanted to do some of it here with friends and family and some local friends."
The day began bright and early at Johnson's home located in Denver, which he had just purchased and recently moved into over the summer. The Bloomington, Minn. native hosted his immediate family, some close friends - including Avalanche President of Hockey Operations Joe Sakic - and neighbors over in his spacious backyard.

He began the day with the ultimate hair of the dog concoction as he drank Bloody Mary's from the Stanley Cup that were decorated with stalks of celery and skewers of glazed donuts. He also provided a full poolside breakfast spread for guests to enjoy as a private chef whipped up waffles using saporous almond and bourbon mix, with an assortment of fresh fruit toppings and crispy Canadian bacon to accompany it.
Throughout his backyard his four dogs - including two Swiss Bernese Mountain dogs named Gia and George, a black lab named Beau and a golden retriever named Penny - roamed freely and played among themselves, or with whoever would entertain them for a game of fetch.
Soon after a trio of kids that were neighbors of Johnson arrived, he made his first wardrobe change of the day. Johnson returned donning a USA tank top and swim trunks moments later. He and the children ventured over to the small slope of his backyard behind his guest house where a large blue tarp was already stationed and covered in a mixture of water and soap.
With the Cup hoisted over his head, Johnson dove his 6-foot-4, 225-pound frame onto the slipper surface and zipped down the tarp, all while steadily holding the Cup above his shoulders. He repeated for three more reps down the slip n' slide as an audience gathered and applauded him.

Upon showering and changing back into his navy long sleeve shirt and gray pants, Johnson and his family posed for family photos in front of his pond - which he was proud to note housed koi fish - shaded by large pine trees.
Shortly after, Johnson and his father Bruce departed for their next stop on the itinerary while the remainder of his family finished prepping for their 1 p.m. departure to San Diego. Johnson took the Stanley Cup to the Cherry Hills Police Department where he posed for photos in the lobby, signed autographs and let the officers and their families take in the Cup in all its impressive glory.
Bruce observed from the back of the lobby, as he watched his son interact with everyone in the room all while showing off his iconic toothless grin - where he's missing his three front teeth - and the prized trophy stationed next to him.
"Interestingly enough he was pretty shy and quiet, although now he isn't," Bruce said with a laugh. "In some ways he still is [shy and quiet], but hockey was always his passion. That's one of the observations I've had through the years for youth hockey is you could see the kids who loved the games themselves versus the kids whose parents loved it more. He was in the garage shooting pucks and on his rollerblades almost all 365 days a year."
In addition to hockey, his adoration for animals and competition is another passion of Johnson's and were further reflected in his day with the Stanley Cup. On the next stop, Johnson drove the Cup to VRCC, his local veterinary clinic, where he's made many trips with his four dogs over the years.
"I've taken my dogs in there when they got sick in the middle of the night at three in the morning," Johnson said. "They're always there. These tech nurses are working from 11 to 7 in the morning. They're super nice people and wanted to give those people a chance to see it."

After carrying the Cup through the clinic and taking a few photos with the staff, Johnson and Bruce then departed for the Avalanche's practice facility Family Sports Center located in Centennial. A day prior to his day with the Cup, Johnson had announced on his personal social media channels that he would be taking the trophy to the practice facility for a half-hour beginning at noon.
As the father-son duo pulled up, they were astonished at the crowd of Avs Faithful decked out in Burgundy and Blue that was assembled and lined up around the perimeter of the facility, which was also packed to the brim with fans who had arrived as early as 6 a.m.
Overwhelmed by the support and small window of time he had allotted for this stop, Johnson did his best to maximize the situation and tried to provide everyone in attendance with a chance to see the Cup. So, he carried the Cup up and down the lines of the crowd as he weaved around the parking lot and didn't ever once stop for a break despite being under the intense late-summer rays and peak daytime heat.
"It's awesome because whether you know anything about hockey or not, you know what the Stanley Cup is," Johnson said regarding sharing the Cup. "It has an energy about it. When it's in the building, people get giddy for it. Whether you know what it really means or know about its history or not, you know it's important. People enjoy it."

As Johnson returned to his car - still carrying the Cup a few chants broke out, "We got the Cup! We got the Cup! We got the Cup!" and, "Er-ik John-son! Er-ik John-son! Er-ik John-son!" The spectacle of support brought tears to Bruce's eyes as he watched his son grinning widely and wiping away beads of sweat as he was praised by the adoring fans.
"I'm proud of him as a hockey player, but I was more proud as a parent," Bruce said. "Just going through the Cup run and having been around the team for some time now, I know a lot of the staff and they were so kind and complimentary of him not as a hockey player, but as a person. As a parent, that is more important for me."
After sharing the Cup with the Avalanche community, Johnson and Bruce departed for the airport, where they were scheduled to travel to San Diego. Despite facing a two-hour delay and being stalled on the runway, Johnson and the Cup finally took off and made it out to California.
One of Johnson's hobbies - that dates back to his youth - is horse racing. So much so, that he has become an official racehorse proprietor and commercial breeder for ERJ Racing, LLC. Over the years, Johnson has named a few of his horses after teammates including, Landeskog, (Nathan) MacKinnon, (Mikko) Rantanen and most recently, (Cale) Makar.
He intertwined his day with the Stanley Cup by taking it to Del Mar Racing Track, where he stables his horses. There, he, family and friends packed into a suite to cheer on MacKinnon, who placed sixth.

Also in attendance at the race track was Steve Kerr, the head coach of the Golden State Warriors, which claimed the 2022 NBA Championship. With him, Kerr was carrying the two-foot tall Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy which depicts a basketball over a hoop and basket and is a gold shade of sterling silver. Kerr and Johnson posed for photos with their respective Larry and Stanley trophies in hand.
Following the trip to the race track, Johnson hosted a private party to cap his day with the Cup and as the final player to do so among the championship team. He reflected on the incredible summer filled with memories of lifetime that he and his teammates made together and with their families, friends, hometown communities and Avs Faithful as a byproduct of becoming well-deserved Stanley Cup champions.
"It's so heavy. A couple days after the parade I was super sore just my pecs and my arms. I was like, 'What happened? What did I do to myself?' I realized it was from lifting it and drinking out of the Cup. You don't realize how heavy it is. Then, when you have to - actually you don't have to - when you get to walk around with it all day, you realize how heavy it is. You don't appreciate how heavy it is, it's almost 40 pounds. It's a good sore and a good problem to have."