Former Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Jack Johnson has retired as a player and has been hired as a professional scout with the Vancouver Canucks.
His hiring was announced by the Canucks on Monday.
Johnson, 38, retires following a 19-year career in the NHL. He attended the Minnesota Wild’s training camp in the fall on a professional tryout basis but did not make the season-opening roster.
A left-handed shot, Johnson joined the Penguins during the 2018 offseason, signing a highly scrutinized five-year contract with a salary cap hit of $3.25 million.
He wound up playing only two seasons for the Penguins. Following the conclusion of the 2019-20 season, former Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford, who signed Johnson, opted to buy him out, citing the economic realities brought on by the pandemic.
As a result of that buyout, Johnson still commands $916,667 against the team’s cap this season. That cap hit is scheduled to be relieved after the season.
In 149 games with the Penguins, Johnson scored 24 points (four goals, 20 assists) while averaging 19:22 of ice time per contest.
JACK JOHNSON! SHORTY! PENGUINS TIE IT AT 3!#LetsGoPens pic.twitter.com/2JIjWtTYwH
— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) January 19, 2020
Along with the Penguins, Johnson played for the Los Angeles Kings, Columbus Blue Jackets, New York Rangers, Colorado Avalanche and Chicago Blackhawks. He won the Stanley Cup with the Avalanche in 2022.
A native of Indianapolis who grew up in Michigan, Johnson was selected by the Carolina Hurricanes with the third overall pick in the 2005 NHL Draft, two selections after the Penguins chose forward Sidney Crosby.
Rutherford was the Hurricanes’ general manager at the time Johnson was drafted. Today, Rutherford is president of hockey operations for the Canucks.
