Johnson honored in front of former team for reaching 1,000-game milestone

On Monday, Erik Johnson was honored in a special pregame ceremony to commemorate his 1,000th NHL game.

The Philadelphia Flyers defenseman reached the milestone on Saturday against the Buffalo Sabres, but the ceremony was saved for Monday, with the added bonus of celebrating in front of his former team, the Colorado Avalanche, and sharing the moment with former teammates.

Johnson played 717 of his 1,000 games in Colorado, spanning over 13 seasons, which included a Stanley Cup championship in 2022.

With many of his former teammates sitting on the opposite bench during the ceremony, Johnson was met with cheers as he made his way out on the ice to receive his recognition. He was joined by his wife, Jackie, and his parents, Bruce and Peggy.

The Flyers played a tribute video for Johnson, which included congratulatory messages from current and former teammates, family members, and even a special message from NFL legend Peyton Manning, who played quarterback for the Denver Broncos for part of his career.

Afterwards, Johnson’s former teammate and good friend Gabriel Landeskog presented him with a framed portrait of Johnson. Landeskog won the 2022 Stanley Cup with Johnson in Colorado and has been plagued with injury ever since.

Keith Jones, Flyers President of Hockey Operations, presented Johnson with a commemorative crystal and Daniel Driere, general manager of the Flyers and Johnson’s former teammate, presented him with his silver stick.