To Hockey Hell and back: Erik Johnson’s Stanley Cup comeback tale is almost complete

DENVER — If the Colorado Avalanche can climb the Stanley Cup summit on Friday night in Game 5, it’s a good bet that after captain Gabriel Landeskog hoists hockey’s holy grail, he’ll pass the best trophy in sports off to teammate and close friend Erik Johnson next.

As Ball Arena explodes into ecstasy, there may be a few tears sprinkled in among the cheers for Johnson, the longest-tenured Avalanche player.

The playoffs’ forgotten No. 1 overall pick has seen some things in his 12 seasons in burgundy and blue. Johnson has been at war to get to this precipice, yes with opponents, but more so his own body.

“This is your life’s work culminating into one moment, it’s what everyone works for as a kid,” Johnson said at Media Day to kick off the Final. “There’s always that void if you don’t win the Cup as a player, so I just can’t wait to have a chance to do it. It means a lot. I’ve been here a long time. A lot of games. A lot of ups and downs.”

What makes Johnson appreciate the moment more is that he wasn’t even sure he’d be able to play this season. Johnson, 34, missed the final 62 games last year – including all 12 playoff games – after suffering a concussion on a Jordan Greenway hit four games into the 2020-21 campaign.

Struggling to find progress in his path back to the ice, Johnson waived his “no-move” clause in the Seattle Expansion Draft so the Avalanche could protect burgeoning blueliners Samuel Girard and Devon Toews. Johnson said he tried to ramp up his conditioning in June but still didn’t feel quiet right. Johnson finally began to turn the corner in July, aided by a call from GM Joe Sakic.

“Joe called me and said, ‘We’re going to need you if you’re feeling well enough to play’, and thankfully I was starting to feel better,” Johnson said. “That [call] was a big part of it. I had a great concussion specialist that I worked with in Southern California where I rehabbed a lot of things, mostly re-training my brain. It took four or five months, but it did end up getting a lot better. I got myself ready to play.

“Thank god I did. Because it’d be tough sitting out and watching it unfold, not being part of it after so many years.”

The St. Louis Blues selected Johnson with the top pick out of the U.S. National Development Program in 2006, sandwiched between Sidney Crosby (2005) and Patrick Kane (2007). This spring, 12 of the last 19 No. 1 overall picks participated in the playoffs, from Marc-Andre Fleury (2003) to Alexis Lafreniere (2020), but Johnson undoubtedly received the least fanfare, particularly in Round 3 as six skated in the Conference Finals.

That’s understandable. He isn’t Connor McDavid or Nathan MacKinnon or Steven Stamkos. Johnson is comfortable in his own skin. He has never been flashy – just a steady, minute-chewing presence who can chip in on the power play and someone who was never afraid to take the road less traveled. In 2006, he became the first No. 1 pick in 44 years to play in college at Minnesota, a route that no one chose since until Owen Power replicated it this season.

Just two and a half seasons into Johnson’s NHL career, the Blues dealt him to Colorado along with a first-round pick in exchange for Kevin Shattenkirk, Chris Stewart and a second-round pick. It was a shocking transaction, one of the first of GM Doug Armstrong’s tenure, after Johnson racked up 10 goals and 39 points as a 21-year-old for the Blue Note.

When Johnson arrived, Sakic had only recently hung up his skates. He hadn’t yet begun his advisor role in the front office. Greg Sherman was the GM, Joe Sacco was the coach. Milan Hejduk was captain. Peter Forsberg threw on the Avalanche sweater again in a comeback bid and Adam Foote was still roaming the blueline.

Nearly 12 years later, Johnson is second only to Foote in games played by a defenseman in franchise history. Landeskog is Colorado’s second-longest tenured player and the two are tight, so much so that noted horseman Johnson named one of his thoroughbreds ‘Landeskog’ after his teammate and Colorado captain.

They’ve been through three coaches and plenty of losses along the way. In 2016-17, the Avalanche collected just 48 points under first-year coach Jared Bednar. For perspective: 11 teams posted 48 or more wins this season.

“We’ve been the guys that have seen it all and stuck through it,” Johnson explained. “We went through a really tough year in 2016-17. Some guys wanted out, some guys wanted a fresh start – and that was their right. We wanted to stick together and try and get it done, so that’s an extra special feeling because we really put the work in.”

That hasn’t gone unnoticed in the Avalanche front office, starting with Sakic. The Avalanche missed Johnson and his hefty, 6-foot-4 frame in the playoffs last spring as they got pushed around by the Vegas Golden Knights. Johnson was able to stay on the ice this season, buoying the back end with 77 games played and 25 points – his best output since 2018-19.

“I’m really happy for E.J., he’s such a great guy, such a great competitor,” Sakic said on Media Day last week. “He’s a great, great leader for us. He’s been around a long time and this is his first opportunity. He’s played really well for us, stayed healthy. I’m really proud of how he’s played all year for us, especially here in the playoffs, he’s helped us on the power play and he’s a big, experienced defenseman on the back end.”

That experience, both on and off the ice, has been invaluable to the Avs. It’s been particularly critical for Johnson’s defense partner, Bowen Byram, as the 21-year-old has navigated his own significant concussions.

“I wasn’t totally sure if I was going to come back and play this year, to be honest,” Johnson said. “I just wanted to feel better, first and foremost, and I wasn’t getting any better.”

Now, Johnson is on the edge of hockey immortality. The head injuries, the ACL tear, the groin surgery, the disappointment of being a No. 1 pick traded so soon, the time spent as an NHL cellar dweller – it will all be worth it with one more win.

“I think you really need to appreciate the moment,” Johnson said. “It’s not easy to get here and you don’t know if you’ll be back. You might only get one crack at this.”

You can bet Johnson won’t let this opportunity slip away. The Avalanche stalwart is so close to the silver summit he can almost taste the champagne.

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To Hockey Hell and back: Erik Johnson’s Stanley Cup comeback tale is almost complete

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