13-year veteran and two-time Stanley Cup champion Tyler Johnson has announced his retirement from the NHL via his Instagram. Johnson’s last professional game will be marked on December 12th, 2024, with the Boston Bruins against the Seattle Kraken.
It’s fitting that Johnson’s last game came against the Kraken. A native of Spokane, WA, Johnson’s professional career began with humble beginnings, signing as an undrafted free agent with the Tampa Bay Lightning from the WHL’s Spokane Chiefs.
Joining an organization who’s had overwhelming success with undersized and undrafted players in the past, Johnson excelled immediately in the Lightning organization. During his first season, he scored 31 goals and 68 points in 75 games for their AHL affiliate at the time, the Norfolk Admirals.
He would only spend one more season primarily playing in the AHL. Finally earning his chance at full-time duties at the NHL level, Johnson impressed greatly during his rookie campaign, scoring 24 goals and 50 points in 82 contests during the 2013-14 season, finishing third in Calder Trophy voting.
Capitalizing on his breakout year, Johnson and the Bolts agreed to a three-year, $10MM contract the following offseason. Despite a few battles with injuries, Johnson sustained his quality two-way efforts throughout that deal, scoring 62 goals and 155 points in 212 games, with a few votes for the Selke Trophy along the way.
His playoff exploits earned him a spot as a fan-favorite in Tampa Bay, scoring 20 goals and 40 points in 43 games from 2015 to 2016, helping the Lightning to their first Stanley Cup Final in 10 years during the 2015 Stanley Cup playoffs. Although he couldn’t help the Lightning over the hump against a dominant Chicago Blackhawks team, the Lightning were ready to invest in Johnson for the long haul.
Johnson eagerly signed a long-term extension with Tampa Bay, securing a seven-year, $35MM contract beginning in the 2017-18 season. For a deal that looked like a bargain when it was time, Johnson quickly wore out his welcome with the Lightning.
His offensive output cratered, finishing with 72 goals and 150 points in 281 games since signing the contract, with another 11 goals and 23 points in 69 games. Although Johnson helped the Lightning to back-to-back Stanley Cup rings in 2020 and 2021, multiple players had passed him on the team’s depth chart.
Needing more salary cap space after the second half of their back-to-back, the Lightning traded Johnson and a 2023 second-round pick to the Blackhawks the following offseason for Brent Seabrook’s contract (which they would later place on LTIR).
Playing on a far worse team in Chicago, Johnson’s offensive output continued in the wrong direction, finishing the remaining three years on his contract with 32 goals and 70 points in 149 games. After his contract expired, Johnson needed to convert a professional tryout agreement with the Bruins to secure a spot on an NHL roster.
With his name on the Stanley Cup twice, Johnson likely won’t have many regrets about his NHL career. He finished with 193 goals and 433 points in 747 regular-season contests with a +19 rating, 49.4% faceoff percentage, 49.7% CorsiFor% at even strength, and 91.7% on-ice save percentage at even strength. In the postseason, and only with Tampa Bay, Johnson concluded his playing days with 32 goals and 65 points in 116 contests with a +7 rating.
We at PHR wish Johnson the best in the next phase of his life and career, and we congratulate him on a successful career that includes two Stanley Cup rings.
Photo courtesy of Jerome Miron-Imagn Images.