Johansen retires, to be honored by Predators

Ryan Johansen felt the perfect way to close the book on his illustrious NHL playing career was to have his infant son on hand for the occasion.

As such, 4-month-old Grayson will be with dad at Bridgestone Arena for Johansen’s retirement appreciation night when the Nashville Predators host the Montreal Canadiens on March 28.

Johansen, who is sixth all time in points in Predators history, announced on Thursday he is retiring from the NHL after a 14-season career. 

“I wanted my boy to be there and to have that moment,” Johansen told the Preds Official Postcast on Thursday when asked about the upcoming ceremony paying tribute to end of his 905-game NHL career. 

“I always loved interacting with guy’s kids over my career, and seeing them in the locker room and all those things. And I was always a little jealous that I wasn’t able to have that in my playing career. So, I’m like, the next best thing would be to have a moment with my baby boy and be at Bridgestone together, and have some cool pictures and memories with his dad.”

A dad who had 578 points (202 goals, 376 assists) for the Predators, Columbus Blue Jackets and Colorado Avalanche in a career that lasted from 2011-2024.

That the 33-year-old plans to hang up the blades should not come as a surprise, given that he hasn’t played an NHL game since suiting up for the Avalanche against the Chicago Blackhawks on March 4, 2024. He was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers two days later but never played a game for that franchise because of a hip injury.

He said the trade on June 24, 2023, to Colorado by Nashville after seven-plus seasons with the Predators helped define what his long-term plans would be.

“Right away I knew I wanted to retire here and live here and be a Pred for life,” he said of Nashville. “And then, with the delay of just kind of doing it, and kind of saying goodbye and thank you, I really wanted our kid to be there.”

Johansen was selected No. 4 by the Blue Jackets in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. His best season came in 2014-15 when he had a career-high 71 points (26 goals, 45 assists) in 82 games, earning him an invite to the NHL’s All-Star Game, where he was the MVP of the game. 

On Jan. 6, 2016, he was involved in the blockbuster trade that sent him to Nashville for defenseman Seth Jones. During his stint with the Predators, he had 362 points (110 goals and 252 assists) in 533 games. His points and assists are each sixth most in Predators history. 

In 61 postseason games for the Predators, he had 48 points, the second most in team history, and 31  assists, which is tied for second most.

He helped the Predators reach the Stanley Cup Final for the first and only time in franchise history in 2017, but was injured in Game 4 of the Western Conference Final against the Anaheim Ducks and was unable to play in the Final, which Nashville lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games.