Eurolanche

Johnson selected to NHL All Star Game

DENVER – Colorado Avalanche defenseman Erik Johnson has been selected to represent the Avalanche at the 2015 NHL All-Star Game, the league announced today.  Johnson will make his first career All-Star Game appearance when the Honda NHL All-Star Game is played on Sunday, Jan. 25, at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio (3 p.m. MT, NBCSN).

Johnson, 26, is the first Avalanche defenseman to be selected to the All-Star Game since Rob Blake in 2003-04.  In fact, Johnson is only the fourth Colorado defender to be named to the All-Star Game since the franchise relocated to Denver, joining Blake, Ray Bourque and Sandis Ozolinsh.

Although this will be his first appearance in the actual All-Star Game, Johnson did represent the Western Conference in the 2008 NHL YoungStars Game in Atlanta as a rookie with the St. Louis Blues.

“I’m very honored and humbled to be selected to the All-Star Game,” said Johnson. “It's a great individual accomplishment, but at the same time a reflection of a lot of great teammates and coaches that I have that helped me to get to where I am at right now.” 

Johnson leads all NHL defensemen with a career-high 12 goals this season.  The 6-foot-4, 232-pound defenseman has 22 points (12g/10a) in 41 games, placing him second among Colorado blueliners in scoring.  He ranks first on the Avalanche in goals (tied), ice time (24:17), blocked shots (92) and power-play goals (3-tied). 

The Bloomington, Minn., native led the team with six goals in December, the most by an Avs defenseman in a single month since Blake scored seven in March of 2003.  Johnson recorded a career-high four-game goal streak from Dec. 20-27, the first Avalanche defenseman to score in four consecutive games since Ozolinsh from Nov 13-20, 1996. 

Selected first overall by St. Louis in the 2006 Entry Draft, Johnson was acquired by the Avalanche on Feb. 18, 2011. Now in his seventh NHL season and fifth with Colorado, Johnson has 192 points (48g/144a) in 450 career games.  He led all Colorado defensemen with 39 points (9g/30a) in 80 games last season, tying his career high set in 2009-10 with St. Louis. 

At the international level, Johnson represented the United States at the 2010 Winter Olympics, helping the Americans capture the silver medal. He has also competed for Team USA at two world championships (2007, 2013) and two world junior championships (2006-07). 

AVALANCHE DEFENSEMEN IN NHL ALL-STAR GAME

Player                   No.     Years

Rob Blake                3       2001-02, 2002-03, 2003-04
Sandis Ozolinsh        3       1996-97, 1997-98, 1999-2000
Erik Johnson         1       2014-15
Ray Bourque            1       2000-01

--Avalanche Press Release--