Ryan Johnson

Ryan M. Johnson (born June 14, 1976) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who currently serves as the general manager for the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League (NHL). Johnson was selected 36th overall in the second round of the 1994 NHL entry draft by the Florida Panthers, with whom he spent parts of five seasons in two tenures, and additionally played in the NHL for the Tampa Bay Lightning, St. Louis Blues, Vancouver Canucks, and Chicago Blackhawks.

Playing career Florida Panthers and Lightning (1997–2003) Johnson was drafted by the Florida Panthers in the second round, 36th overall, of the 1994 NHL entry draft. He subsequently played two seasons of college hockey with the University of North Dakota. He scored 19 points in 21 games, splitting the 1995–96 season with the Canadian national team.

In his first three seasons with the Panthers, Johnson played with Florida's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliates, the Carolina Monarchs and the Beast of New Haven. In 1999–2000, he earned a full-time roster spot with the Panthers, but was traded during that season to the Tampa Bay Lightning with Dwayne Hay in exchange for Mike Sillinger on March 14, 2000.

Johnson spent one full season with the Lightning, scoring 21 points in 2000–01. On July 10, 2001, he was traded back to the Panthers with a sixth-round draft pick (later traded back to Tampa Bay) in 2003 in exchange for Václav Prospal.

Vancouver Canucks (2008–2010) Johnson became an unrestricted free agent in the 2008 off-season; he signed a two-year, $2.3 million contract with the Vancouver Canucks. After missing 20 games, Johnson returned to the lineup on January 9, 2009, despite still feeling considerable pain in his fractured finger. After completing his first season in Vancouver with two goals and seven assists for nine points in 62 games, it was revealed that off-season surgery was required for the injured finger.

Nearly a month into the 2009–10 season, Johnson was involved in a head-first collision into the end boards in a game against the Detroit Red Wings on October 27, 2009. After chipping the puck into the offensive zone, Johnson lost his balance trying to skate around Detroit Red Wings defenceman and captain Nicklas Lidström and slid heavily into the boards with his shoulder and neck. He was taken off the ice in a stretcher after laying motionless on the ice for several moments. He would miss the next five games with a concussion. He was then later sidelined for 12 games on January 21, 2010 with a broken foot in a 4–3 win over the Dallas Stars. He played through lingering injuries on both feet until suffering another broken foot on April 4 in a 4–3 win against the Minnesota Wild while blocking a shot, limiting him to 58 games.

Chicago Blackhawks (2010–2011) After not receiving a contract extension from the Canucks, Johnson became an unrestricted free agent. Unsigned to start the 2010–11 season, he was given a professional tryout with the Chicago Blackhawks' AHL affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs, in December 2010. He played one game for the IceHogs before signing a one-year deal with the Blackhawks. Immediately recalled after the deal, Johnson played his first game with the Blackhawks in a 4–1 win over the Detroit Red Wings on December 17, 2010. He finished with 34 games played for the Blackhawks in 2010–11 with one goal, five assists and six points while playing on the Hawks' fourth line with Tomáš Kopecký and Viktor Stålberg. Johnson was goalless but recorded an assist in six playoff games in the Blackhawks first round exit in seven games to Johnson's former team, the Presidents' Trophy-winning Vancouver Canucks.

Managerial career Following the end of his playing career, Johnson re-joined the Vancouver Canucks in 2013 as a player development consultant, subsequently serving as assistant director of player development, director of player development, and special advisor to the general manager. Additionally, Johnson served as the general manager of the Canucks' American Hockey League affiliates from 2017 to 2026, initially with the Utica Comets until 2021, and continuing in the role with the Abbotsford Canucks after the franchise's relocation. On May 14, 2026, Johnson was promoted to general manager of the NHL Canucks, succeeding Patrik Allvin.

Personal life Johnson was born to Jim and Judy Johnson in Thunder Bay, Ontario, on June 14, 1976. He has a sister, Sarah, and two older brothers: Greg, who played with the Detroit Red Wings, Pittsburgh Penguins, Chicago Blackhawks, and Nashville Predators; and Corey. After his father lost a battle with cancer on June 7, 2008, at age 63, Johnson completed a 42.2-kilometre marathon the following year on June 20, 2009, in Duluth, Minnesota, as a tribute. He finished the run in just under four hours at three hours, 59 minutes and 52 seconds.

Career statistics Regular season and playoffs Regular seasonPlayoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 1992–93 Thunder Bay Kings AAA Midget 60 25 33 58 — — — — — — 1993–94 Thunder Bay Flyers USHL 48 14 36 50 28 — — — — — 1994–95 University of North Dakota WCHA 38 6 22 28 39 — — — — — 1995–96 Canadian National Team Intl 28 5 12 17 14 — — — — — 1995–96 University of North Dakota WCHA 21 2 17 19 14 — — — — — 1996–97 Carolina Monarchs AHL 78 18 24 42 28 — — — — — 1997–98 Beast of New Haven AHL 64 19 48 67 12 3 0 1 1 0 1997–98 Florida Panthers NHL 10 0 2 2 0 — — — — — 1998–99 Beast of New Haven AHL 37 8 19 27 18 — — — — — 1998–99 Florida Panthers NHL 1 1 0 1 0 — — — — — 1999–00 Florida Panthers NHL 66 4 12 16 14 — — — — — 1999–00 Tampa Bay Lightning NHL 14 0 2 2 2 — — — — — 2000–01 Tampa Bay Lightning NHL 80 7 14 21 44 — — — — — 2001–02 Florida Panthers NHL 29 1 3 4 10 — — — — — 2002–03 Florida Panthers NHL 58 2 5 7 26 — — — — — 2002–03 St. Louis Blues NHL 17 0 0 0 12 6 0 2 2 6 2003–04 St. Louis Blues NHL 69 4 7 11 8 3 0 0 0 0 2004–05 Missouri River Otters UHL 29 7 14 21 12 6 1 0 1 13 2005–06 St. Louis Blues NHL 65 3 6 9 33 — — — — — 2006–07 St. Louis Blues NHL 59 7 4 11 47 — — — — — 2007–08 St. Louis Blues NHL 79 5 13 18 22 — — — — — 2008–09 Vancouver Canucks NHL 62 2 7 9 12 10 1 1 2 2 2009–10 Vancouver Canucks NHL 58 1 4 5 12 4 0 0 0 2 2010–11 Rockford IceHogs AHL 1 0 0 0 0 — — — — — 2010–11 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 34 1 5 6 8 6 0 1 1 2 NHL totals 701 38 84 122 250 29 1 4 5 12