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Johnson Plays Game 1,000 in NHL Career Saturday
11/17/2024 1:00:00 PM | Men's Hockey
Stanley Cup winner and 17-year NHL veteran
MINNEAPOLIS - Erik Johnson, a former defenseman for the Minnesota men's hockey program, skated in the 1,000th game of his National Hockey League career Saturday as his Philadelphia Flyers defeated the Buffalo Sabres at Wells Fargo Center.
The first-overall pick of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft by the St. Louis Blues, Johnson has spent 17 seasons in the NHL playing for four teams, totaling 94 goals and 251 assists for 345 career points. A native of Bloomington, Minn., he was the fifth American-born player to be selected first in the NHL draft and remains the highest draft pick in Golden Gophers' history. He is the ninth former skater from the University of Minnesota, and fourth player from the 2006-07 team, to reach the 1,000-game milestone, the most of any NCAA program.
In his lone season with the Maroon and Gold in 2006-07, he led all WCHA rookie defenseman in scoring with 28 points on four goals and 24 assists, earning a WCHA All-Rookie Team selection. Johnson signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Blues following his freshman season in Dinkytown.
As an NHL rookie, Johnson totaled 33 points in 69 games in St. Louis and was also selected for the NHL's 2008 YoungStars Game. He missed the entire 2008-09 campaign but returned with a 39-point campaign in 2009-10 and matched that career-high scoring output while playing for Colorado in 2013-14. Johnson went on to help the Avalanche win the Stanley Cup in 2022, seeing his name engraved on hockey's ultimate prize.
Most NHL Games by a Former Gopher
Phil Kessel - 1,286
Blake Wheeler - 1,172
Neal Broten - 1,099
Alex Goligoski - 1,078
Mike Ramsey - 1,070
Kyle Okposo - 1,051
Thomas Vanek - 1,029
Nick Leddy - 1,015
Erik Johnson - 1,000
*Regular season only*
The first-overall pick of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft by the St. Louis Blues, Johnson has spent 17 seasons in the NHL playing for four teams, totaling 94 goals and 251 assists for 345 career points. A native of Bloomington, Minn., he was the fifth American-born player to be selected first in the NHL draft and remains the highest draft pick in Golden Gophers' history. He is the ninth former skater from the University of Minnesota, and fourth player from the 2006-07 team, to reach the 1,000-game milestone, the most of any NCAA program.
In his lone season with the Maroon and Gold in 2006-07, he led all WCHA rookie defenseman in scoring with 28 points on four goals and 24 assists, earning a WCHA All-Rookie Team selection. Johnson signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Blues following his freshman season in Dinkytown.
As an NHL rookie, Johnson totaled 33 points in 69 games in St. Louis and was also selected for the NHL's 2008 YoungStars Game. He missed the entire 2008-09 campaign but returned with a 39-point campaign in 2009-10 and matched that career-high scoring output while playing for Colorado in 2013-14. Johnson went on to help the Avalanche win the Stanley Cup in 2022, seeing his name engraved on hockey's ultimate prize.
Most NHL Games by a Former Gopher
Phil Kessel - 1,286
Blake Wheeler - 1,172
Neal Broten - 1,099
Alex Goligoski - 1,078
Mike Ramsey - 1,070
Kyle Okposo - 1,051
Thomas Vanek - 1,029
Nick Leddy - 1,015
Erik Johnson - 1,000
*Regular season only*
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