Erik Johnson’s next chapter in hockey is set, and it keeps him right where fans can still hear his voice on NHL broadcasts. ESPN has signed the former Colorado Avalanche defenseman to a multi-year contract extension, locking in the Stanley Cup champion after his first year in the booth.
Johnson announced the news Tuesday morning on Instagram, writing, “Back on your screens for more!” He added, “I am excited to announce I have signed a multi-year deal with ESPN to continue to work as an NHL analyst for games and in studio.”
The reaction came quickly from around the Avalanche world, including a lighthearted comment from goaltender Scott Wedgewood, who wrote, “Congrats! Hopefully you don't have to read the teleprompter.”
Johnson’s new deal comes after a playing career that made him one of the most familiar and respected figures in Avalanche history. The first overall pick in the 2006 NHL Draft spent 14 of his 17 seasons with Colorado across two separate stints, arriving in Denver in February 2011 after a trade from the St. Louis Blues and becoming a fixture on the blue line.
He skated in 731 games for Colorado, second among Avalanche defensemen only to Adam Foote, and finished his run with the club at 69 goals, 179 assists and 248 points. His game wasn’t built on flash alone, either. Johnson closed out his Avalanche career as the franchise leader among defensemen in blocked shots with 1,373, and his 1,288 hits also ranked first among Colorado blueliners.
The championship finally arrived in 2022, after years of injuries, playoff frustration and hard seasons. Johnson played all 20 postseason games that spring as Colorado beat the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games to win its first Stanley Cup since 2001 and third in franchise history.
After leaving Colorado following the 2022-23 season, Johnson signed with the Buffalo Sabres and later was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers during the 2023-24 campaign. The Avalanche brought him back at the 2025 trade deadline for one final run in Burgundy and Blue, and he played his last NHL game on April 21, 2025, against the Dallas Stars in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
His final numbers tell the story of a long, durable career: 1,023 regular-season games across four NHL teams, 95 goals and 253 assists for 348 points, plus five goals and eight assists in 57 playoff games. Johnson also joined a small club as just the sixth defenseman taken first overall in the NHL Draft to reach 1,000 games, and one of only two American-born defensemen ever selected No. 1 overall, alongside Bryan Berard.
The Bloomington, Minnesota, native hit that 1,000-game mark with Philadelphia on Nov. 16, 2024, against Buffalo. Two days later, the Flyers honored him before a game, with Johnson sharing the moment against his former Avalanche teammates.
Johnson also built a decorated international resume with Team USA, winning silver at the 2010 Winter Olympics and bronze medals at the 2007 World Junior Championship and 2013 IIHF World Championship. He also played in the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.
Now he’s settled into a different role in the sport, and his first season on television already produced one memorable exchange. During an interview with former teammate Nathan MacKinnon, Johnson asked about the importance of Colorado’s 5-0 win over the Detroit Red Wings, and MacKinnon fired back with, “About as big as that spray tan you got there.”
Johnson laughed it off and suggested it was just TV makeup. That kind of back-and-forth was a reminder that even if he’s traded the helmet for a microphone, the relationships are still there. And with ESPN keeping him around, Avalanche fans will keep seeing one of the franchise’s most recognizable names in the NHL spotlight.
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