Former Chicago Blackhawks defenseman announces retirement from hockey at the age of 38

Jack Johnson, Chicago Blackhawks alum, retires and joins Vancouver Canucks scouting.

On Monday, word broke that Johnson is stepping away as a player and moving into the Canucks' scouting department.

Blackhawks fans mostly remember the 2022-23 season, when he logged 58 games and four assists on a young blue line.

Luke Richardson, teams coach at the time, leaned on him for defensive-zone starts.

In all, he leaves with 1,228 NHL games, 77 goals, and 265 assists, mileage for a defenseman. He owns a Stanley Cup ring from Colorado in 2022 and an Olympic silver with Team USA in 2010.

He was the No. 3 pick in 2005, and he carried that pressure for two decades across the league. Even at 38, he kept finding ways to earn a camp invite by being dependable.

Johnson wasn't a modern rover, but he read forechecks early and made the simple first pass. When entries went sideways, he angled attackers to the boards, then chipped pucks out.

Vancouver is betting that 19 NHL seasons and a cup-room spring in Colorado translate into sharper evaluations of young pros. Scouting is about patterns, and he has seen every system and every kind of room.

His last full NHL taste came with Columbus in 2024-25, where he dressed for 41 games and posted six assists. The minutes were smaller, but the habit of showing up prepared never changed.

Retirements can feel abrupt, but Johnson earned a landing by staying in the game.

Now the next milestone is seeing what he spots for the Vancouver Canucks and whether his eye helps land a steal.