MacKinnon roasts former teammate Johnson, making TV debut for ESPN

Once a teammate, always a teammate.

Colorado Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon showed that even when your teammate retires and moves on to a media gig, he's always fair game for a roast.

Erik Johnson, former defenseman who helped the Avalanche to the Stanley Cup in 2022, is now working as an analyst with ESPN, making his debut on Saturday. He got the chance to talk to MacKinnon after a 5-0 victory.

After asking his former teammate about how big the win against the Detroit Red Wings was, MacKinnon saw his opening.

"About as big as that spray tan you got there," MacKinnon chirped.

Johnson laughed and immediately disputed the charges. Later he took to social media to keep the joke going.

Johnson, who retired after the 2024-25 season after playing 1,023 games over 17 NHL seasons — 14 of them with the Avalanche — was making his ESPN debut. Earlier in the broadcast, Johnson demonstrated how smelling salts work to the delight of his crewmates.

MacKinnon must have enjoyed seeing his old teammate as he scored twice, including his 40th goal of the season, in the win.