Ryan Johnson

Photo by: Brad Rempel

Photo by: Matt Krohn

Photo by: Brad Rempel

Photo by: Brace Hemmelgarn

Position:
Defense
Ht./Wt.:
6-1 / 190
Class:
Junior
Hometown:
Irvine, Calif.
Previous Team:
Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL)
NHL Rights:
Buffalo (2019)
Major:
Business and Marketing Education

PRONUNCIATION

• Signed two-year, entry-level NHL contract with the Buffalo Sabres on May 27, 2023
• Made NHL debut November 4, 2023

2022-23 | SENIOR
All-Big Ten Honorable Mention Team
Big Ten Sportsmanship Award
Minnesota's Donald M. Clark Community Service Award
Hockey Humanitarian Award Nominee
Academic All-Big Ten
• One of nine Gophers to appear in all the team's 40 games
• Closed the year with 18 points on 14 assists and a career-best four goals
• Scored the first game-winning goal of his career at Notre Dame (Jan. 14)
• Posted four multi-point outings during the year
• Had a point in four of the team's first five games
• Gophers held a 13-1-0 record when he registered a point and a perfect 4-0-0 mark when he scored a goal
• Twice had a season-long point streak of three games between Oct. 7-21 and Jan. 27-Feb. 10
• Led the team with 64 blocked shots, the most of his career
• Finished the season with a plus-22 rating, second among Gophers' defensemen, and had a season-best, plus-3 rating versus Minnesota State (Oct. 7) and Michigan State (Jan. 28)
• Helped Minnesota to the NCAA's sixth-best goals against per game at 2.3
• Member of a defense corps that combined for 147 points on 30 goals and 117 assists, the most points of any defensive unit at the NCAA Frozen Four
• Part of the Gophers runner-up finish at the 2023 NCAA Frozen Four and a Big Ten Conference regular season championship
• Earned fourth letter and served as an alternate captain

2021-22 | JUNIOR
Academic All-Big Ten
• Skated in all 39 games as a junior for the Gophers
• Recorded new career highs with 19 points, 16 assists and three goals
• Finished second on the team in defensive scoring and second on the team in blocked shots with 45
• Helped the Gophers win the 2021-22 Big Ten Regular-Season Championship and advance to the NCAA Frozen Four for the first time since 2014
• Team was 3-0-0 when he scored a goal and 13-4-0 when he tallied a point
• Scored a goal in a 7-4 win over Mercyhurst (Oct. 8) to open the season and recorded points in five of the first seven contests
• Added a pair of multi-point performances against Notre Dame (Oct. 29) and against Penn State (Nov. 20) with two assists in each outing
• Tallied a career-long, four-game point streak from Jan. 28 to Feb. 5
• Scored a goal in Minnesota's 4-3 overtime win over UMass to open the NCAA tournament (Mar. 25)
• Earned third letter

2020-21 | SOPHOMORE
All-Big Ten Honorable Mention Team
Mike Crupi Most Determined Player Award
Academic All-Big Ten
• Skated in 27 games for the Gophers as a sophomore
• Recorded 14 points behind two goals and 12 assists
• Finished second among 'U' defensemen in scoring as well as blocked shots with 36
• Team was 2-0-0 when he scored a goal and 9-2-0 when he tallied a point
• Recorded a season-best, three-game point stream twice during the season
• Scored his first career goal in a 4-2 win over Michigan (Mar. 15)
• Earned second letter
• Missed four games while helping the U.S. National Junior Team win a gold medal at the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship

2019-20 | FRESHMAN
Mike Crupi Most Determined Player Award
• Skated in all 37 games as a freshman for the Gophers
• Recorded eight assists and 54 blocked shots in his rookie campaign
• Made his collegiate debut with Minnesota at Colorado College (Oct. 11)
• Recorded his first career point with an assist against Niagara (Oct. 18) and added an assist the following night for his first point streak as the Gophers earned a home sweep
• Team was 7-1-0 when he recorded a point
• The 2019-20 season ended on March 12, 2020, when the Big Ten and NCAA announced they were ceasing competitions and championships because of COVID-19 public health concerns as Minnesota prepared for the Big Ten tournament semifinals
• Earned first letter

JUNIORS/HIGH SCHOOL
• Spent the 2018-19 season in the USHL and helped the Sioux Falls Stampede capture the 2019 USHL Clark Cup
• A 2018-19 USHL All-Rookie Team selection
• Notched 25 points (six goals, 19 points) from the blue line in 54 regular-season USHL games before adding eight points (two goals, six assists) in 12 games during Sioux Falls' Clark Cup run
• Led the Stampede in plus/minus for the 2018-19 regular season at plus-24
• Competed in the 2019 USHL/NHL Top Prospects Game
• Previously skated with the Anaheim Jr. Ducks and Santa Margarita Catholic High School

INTERNATIONAL
• Won a gold medal with the U.S. National Junior Team at the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship in Edmonton along with fellow Gophers Jackson LaCombe and Brock Faber
• Earned a gold medal with the U.S. Junior Select Team at the 2018 World Junior A Challenge

PERSONAL
• Son of Craig and Brittany Johnson
• Has two siblings (Eric and Shea)
• Father, Craig, played for the Gophers before a 10-year career in the NHL
• Selected in the first round (31st overall) of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft by the Buffalo Sabres, the 21st first round draft pick in program history
• Sixth Gopher hockey player drafted by Buffalo in the first round of the NHL Entry Draft, joining Mike Ramsey (1979), Erik Rasmussen (1996), Keith Ballard (2002), Thomas Vanek (2003) and Casey Mittelstadt (2017)