Ching Johnson

Ivan Wilfred "Ching" Johnson (December 7, 1897 – June 17, 1979) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player who was a defenceman for the New York Rangers and New York Americans in the National Hockey League (NHL) between 1926 and 1938. He was an original member of the Rangers and was part of two Stanley Cup championship winning teams. He was named to the NHL's post-season all-star team four times and played in the Ace Bailey Benefit Game, the first all-star game in league history.

A veteran of the First World War, Johnson did not begin playing competitive hockey until he was in his 20s and was nearly 30 when he first broke into the NHL. Regarded as one of the hardest bodycheckers to ever play the game, he was a fan favourite and went on to play 436 games with the Rangers and Americans before spending his final seasons in the minor leagues as a player, coach and official. Johnson was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1958, and is also a member of the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and Museum and the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame.

Early life

Johnson was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, on December 7, 1898. He was an accomplished football and lacrosse player in his youth. He enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force in January 1916, joining the Third Division Ammunition Column. He arrived in England on March 25, 1916, and was in France by mid-July that year, re-assigned to the Fourth Division, where he helped deliver ammunition to the front. In November 1917 he was admitted to hospital for verneral disease, and spent 84 days there, and on June 22, 1918, was awarded the Good Conduct Badge. Johnson returned to Canada in May 1919 and was discharged later that month. Ching Johnson, second from right in the front row, with the Eveleth Reds in 1920–21. His brother Adrian Johnson is sitting at far left. Back in Winnipeg, Johnson worked for an electric light company. He first played competitive hockey in 1919 when he joined the Winnipeg Monarchs of the Winnipeg Senior Hockey League. He was named a league all-star on defence in both 1924 and 1926. During the 1924–25 season, Johnson also served as head coach for Macalester, a small college in Saint Paul.

First nicknamed "Ivan the Terrible", Johnson later earned the nickname "Ching" when fans of the defenceman would shout "Ching, Ching Chinaman" to support him. Though he was of Irish descent, he was called "Chinaman", then "Chink" and finally "Ching" as he was considered to have an Asian looking face.

National Hockey League career It was from Minneapolis that Johnson was recruited, along with his defensive partner Taffy Abel, to play for the newly formed New York Rangers. A rugged and physical defenceman, but still finished second on the Rangers with 66 penalties in minutes. In 1927–28, his total of 146 penalty minutes led the team and was second in the NHL to Eddie Shore's 165. He added a career high 10 goals, and helped the Rangers win their first Stanley Cup. Additionally, he was voted by the fans as the most valuable player of either New York team.

Johnson was lost to the Rangers early in the 1928–29 season when he suffered a broken ankle during a December game against the Maroons. A couple days after his injury, he had to be rescued when a fire threatened the Montreal hospital at which he was convalescing. Johnson missed virtually the entire regular season with the injury, but returned in time for the 1929 playoffs, and was credited with improving the Rangers' play as they reached the final against the Boston Bruins.

His contract having expired following the season, Johnson was a hold-out when the Rangers opened their training camp prior to the 1929–30 NHL season as the team was reluctant to meet his demands for increased pay. When the impasse dragged into November, he threatened to quit the game altogether before finally agreeing to a new three-year deal. He appeared in 30 games for the Rangers that season, but again missed significant time, this time suffering a broken jaw. Again, Johnson returned in time for the playoffs, but was forced to wear a steel mask to protect his face. He was again named to the first All-Star team in 1932–33 and led the Rangers to their second Stanley Cup; his defensive play was credited as being key to the team's success. His season was again reduced by injury in 1934–35 but he returned in time for the playoffs.

Prior to the 1936–37 season, the Rangers signed Johnson to serve as the defensive coach while he continued to play. He appeared in 35 games but scored no points. Believing that he had become too slow to play, the team agreed. with whom he played one final NHL season in 1937–38.

Post-NHL career At age 40, Johnson returned to the Minneapolis Millers as a player-coach for the 1938–39 season. He quickly became the American Hockey Association's most popular star as large crowds attended games he participated in, and was named an AHA all-star in 1939. Johnson then coached for a time in California, before returning east to coach the Washington Lions of the American Hockey League.

In recognition of his career, Johnson was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as a player in 1958.

After leaving hockey, Johnson worked construction in Washington, D.C., and later retired to the nearby community of Silver Spring, Maryland. He and his wife Ellen had two children: Geraldine and James. He had four grandchildren and one great-grandchild at the time of his death in 1979.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs Regular seasonPlayoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 1919–20 Winnipeg Monarchs WSrHL 7 6 3 9 10 — — — — — 1920–21 Eveleth Reds USAHA — — — — — — — — — — 1921–22 Eveleth Reds USAHA — — — — — — — — — — 1922–23 Eveleth Reds USAHA 20 4 0 4 26 — — — — — 1923–24 Minneapolis Millers USAHA 20 9 3 12 34 — — — — — 1924–25 Minneapolis Rockets USAHA 40 8 0 8 43 — — — — — 1925–26 Minneapolis Millers CHL 38 14 5 19 92 3 2 0 2 6 1926–27 New York Rangers NHL 27 3 2 5 66 2 0 0 0 8 1927–28 New York Rangers NHL 42 10 6 16 146 9 1 1 2 46 1928–29 New York Rangers NHL 8 0 0 0 14 6 0 0 0 26 1929–30 New York Rangers NHL 30 3 3 6 82 4 0 0 0 14 1930–31 New York Rangers NHL 44 2 6 8 77 4 1 0 1 17 1931–32 New York Rangers NHL 47 3 10 13 106 7 2 0 2 24 1932–33 New York Rangers NHL 48 8 9 17 127 8 1 0 1 14 1933–34 New York Rangers NHL 48 2 6 8 86 2 0 0 0 4 1934–35 New York Rangers NHL 29 2 3 5 34 4 0 0 0 2 1935–36 New York Rangers NHL 47 5 3 8 58 — — — — — 1936–37 New York Rangers NHL 35 0 0 0 2 9 0 1 1 4 1937–38 New York Americans NHL 31 0 0 0 10 6 0 0 0 2 1938–39 Minneapolis Millers AHA 47 2 9 11 60 4 0 2 2 0 1939–40 Minneapolis Millers AHA 48 0 4 4 26 3 0 0 0 2 NHL totals 436 38 48 86 808 61 5 2 7 161