Jack Johnson emerges from troubled financial, family past to stand on the edge of Stanley Cup glory

In the bedlam on the Ball Arena ice after Andre Burakovsky had whipped home the overtime winner to give host Colorado a 1-0 series lead in the 2022 Stanley Cup Final, we caught a glimpse of defenseman Jack Johnson in the middle of the celebration.

The look of joy on his face was no different than the look of joy on the faces of his teammates as the Avs celebrated their first Stanley Cup Final win since Game 7 of the 2001 Stanley Cup Final.

But couldn’t help but feel that maybe it was a bit different for Johnson. That somehow the moment resonated a little deeper, was felt a little more keenly in his soul.

Each player’s journey to this point – to the edge of a Stanley Cup championship, to the edge of hockey immortality – is on some, maybe many, levels uniquely personal. If that’s true then it’s fair to say that Johnson’s journey has been marked by the kind of challenges that few if any around him have faced.

“What he went through in his life, I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night,” John Davidson, president of hockey operations for the Columbus Blue Jackets, said recently. He’s gone through a whole lot in his life. He’s gone through a gigantic challenge. And he’s gone through it with honor. He’s gone through it with no regrets.”

This is the second stint as part of the senior management team for the Blue Jackets for Davidson, a Hall of Fame broadcaster and long-time NHL netminder. He first joined the Blue Jackets in October 2012 after having served as president of the St. Louis Blues, a role he took on after leaving the broadcast booth.

Johnson preceded Davidson in Columbus by a few months having been acquired at the 2012 trade deadline from Los Angeles for disgruntled forward Jeff Carter.

Davidson understood immediately how important Johnson was going to be in laying a foundation in Columbus. And while he doesn’t mention Carter by name, the marked difference in attitude and personality with Johnson is something that still resonates for Davidson, especially now that he’s back in Columbus.

“He welcomed the challenge of being a Columbus Blue Jacket. There’s others that didn’t but he did and it was really appreciated in this city,” Davidson said of Johnson.

In fact, Davidson believes Johnson was one of those players who helped create a bedrock for players who want to make a lasting commitment to the franchise and the community, something that has been a challenge for the Blue Jackets over the years.

“Now, we’ve got people who want to stay,” said Davidson, who returned to the organization before the start of the 2021-22 season when his tenure as a senior executive with the New York Rangers came to an abrupt end late last season.

“Jack was one of the first guys that really embraced it here and he was welcomed for it,” Davidson said.

It’s fair to say that during his 6 ½ seasons in Columbus, a lot of life happened to and for Johnson.

It was during his time with the Blue Jackets that a devastating financial disaster involving his parents came to light. First reported in the fall of 2014 by the excellent Blue Jackets beat writer Aaron Portzline, details emerged of Johnson having to file for bankruptcy amid millions of dollars in accrued debt, losses directly linked to his parents’ having taken control of Johnson’s finances.

The losses, of course, weren’t just financial but emotional as the financial woes led to a deep fracture within the Johnson family.

The story was particularly shocking given the tightknit family that had moved several times to be near Johnson as he was moving from Shattuck-St. Mary’s School, the prestigious prep school in Minnesota where he became close friends with Sidney Crosby, on through his participation in the National Team Development Program in Michigan.

I visited with the Johnson family in the months leading up to the 2005 draft that followed the season-long lockout that scuttled the 2004-05 NHL season. Johnson was eloquent and humble talking about his family’s commitment to his dreams of an NHL career. He talked about visiting with Crosby in Nova Scotia and how the two hoped to go one-two in the draft.

As it turned out Crosby went first to Pittsburgh, naturally, Bobby Ryan was second chosen by Anaheim and Johnson went third overall to Carolina. When Johnson chose to stay at the University of Michigan for a second season he was traded by the Hurricanes to Los Angeles in the fall of 2006. He would remain a King until the trade to Columbus, along the way earning a silver medal as part of the U.S. team at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver. During that tournament I spoke again with Johnson’s mother about the being able to join their son in Vancouver for the Olympics not knowing what upheaval lay ahead for the family.

If the family split was a life-changing event, his time in Columbus was also marked by another life-changing event. Davidson recalled how Johnson met his future wife who was working for the Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena.

The two ended up marrying and starting a family and Davidson recalled how integral Johnson’s new extended family was in navigating the difficult times brought on by his family and financial situation.

“And it’s been great ever since,” Davidson said.

“It’s amazing when things fall into place,” he added. “It was a perfect fit for him.”

Davidson was part of the Ranger organization when Johnson signed a one-year deal there at the start of the 2020-21 season. A hip injury that required surgery ended Johnson’s tenure with the Rangers but did seem to put him back on track to playing competitive NHL hockey.

“He looks lean and faster,” Davidson said. “He’s a great complement or more for that team.”

The longtime executive and Hall of Fame broadcaster isn’t surprised that Johnson has found a fit with the Cup hopeful Avs.

“He’s zero maintenance,” Davidson said. “Zero.”

He works out diligently and prepares like a pro.

“He just plays,” Davidson said. “I know the analytic world was hard on him for a while. Some of it was true and some of it wasn’t.”

“I’m just so happy for Jack,” he added. “Jack’s had a very strong season doing his job. And you need everybody to do their jobs,” if you’re going to win a Stanley Cup.

Long-time agent Pat Brisson, who represents some of the biggest names in the business, shares a similar emotional connection with Johnson.

Brisson has been Sidney Crosby’s agent since the get-go and Johnson and Crosby have been long-time pals dating back to their shared time at Shattuck.

When Johnson’s parents took over his finances prior to Johnson signing his second NHL contract, Brisson and Johnson parted ways. But after the bankruptcy proceedings and Johnson’s split with his parents, Johnson reached out again to Brisson about representing him.

“We were glad to help out as much as we could,” Brisson said. “It’s quite a story.”

Not only did Brisson help Johnson with a deal in Pittsburgh, he helped get Johnson, without a contract at the start of this season having been bought out of the remainder of his deal with the Penguins and then coming off a one-year deal with the Rangers, a tryout with the Avs last fall.

Johnson earned a spot on the Avs roster and a one-year deal and, after playing in 74 regular season games, the sturdy defender has come back into the playoff roster replacing the injured Samuel Girard and playing mostly in a shutdown role with Josh Manson.

From a training camp of uncertainty to the brink of a Stanley Cup, well, that’s a pretty incredible story arc.

“We’re so happy for him. We’re ecstatic,” Brisson said. “The joy that I have just, to see him on the ice,” Brisson said. “He wasn’t sure this year that he’d even have a job.”

Brisson, part of the powerful CAA agency, often puts Johnson in touch with young clients who might need some real talk about the challenges of handling money as a pro athlete because Johnson understands that his story is a cautionary one.

“I welcome many young players to listen to him and listen to his experience,” Brisson said. JJ is a fabulous example of a guy that’s gone through so much adversity, a very unfortunate situation that’s occurred but through it all he’s remained very upbeat and positive.”

I asked Davidson what he thinks of when he sees Johnson this close to reaching the ultimate hockey goal.

“I think of perseverance. I think of a player that had to have the perseverance otherwise life would have kicked him aside. It just would have,” Davidson said. “You have to deal with the past but you have to move forward. I just know that with Jack, I’m a guy that really pulls for him. I just pull for him.

“It’s just good. It’s just good,” Davidson added. “And there was a certain amount of time where it wasn’t good. And for anybody out there to have to go through what he went through, it’s a marvelous story that he got through it. If he ever won the Cup it might be a pretty good movie. Bless him and his family. He’s stayed with it. He’s stayed with it.”

Jack Johnson emerges from troubled financial, family past to stand on the edge of Stanley Cup glory

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