Erik Johnson, the longtime defenseman who retired from the NHL in October, nearly joined the Flyers’ front office. However, Johnson accepted an offer from ESPN, viewing it as a one-year trial. If he disliked television, he could begin working with the Flyers the following year.
Johnson’s Transition to Television
Johnson’s move into broadcasting started in 2024 at the NHL’s broadcast boot camp. This was a new NHL initiative designed to teach NHL players the basics of television and introduce them to local and national broadcasters and executives.
Ashlyn Sullivan from NBC Sports Philadelphia, who led a seminar on becoming a rinkside analyst, noticed Johnson’s unique qualities. She noted that Johnson always used her name when answering a question and stayed until the interview concluded.
According to Sullivan, even when Johnson’s playing time was limited with the Flyers, he dedicated time to the social media team and the broadcast. Sullivan recognised Johnson’s personality and approach were well-suited for TV even before he started at the camp.
Praise for Johnson’s Broadcasting Skills
Keith Jones reached out to Johnson after hearing one of his games, saying, “Don’t do anything else. You’re right where you’re supposed to be.” He added that it was a good compliment, particularly since Jones had previously worked in television.
Play-by-play man Bob Wischusen has said that Johnson is a “natural” on television now that he is deep into his first year calling playoff hockey. Wischusen noted that “There was hardly any learning curve with him.”
Johnson and Wischusen were paired together in January as part of ESPN’s NHL coverage. Johnson serves as a rinkside reporter and analyst to Wischusen’s play-by-play.
- Johnson almost joined the Flyers’ front office.
- He decided to give TV a shot with ESPN.
- He attended the NHL’s broadcast boot camp in 2024.
Johnson himself joked that he was always trying to avoid doing media. However, Sullivan said: “You just know with some players that they’re going to be good at this, and Erik was always that. He was so charismatic. He’s got so much personality. … He gets it. He gets what hockey is trying to do, which is to add more personality to this and make hockey players more marketable to fans.”
Johnson, 38, spent parts of his final two NHL seasons in Philadelphia. Johnson knew that general manager Danny Brière and team president Keith Jones would wait a year for him if he wanted.