ESPN hires Erik Johnson as NHL analyst

Just two weeks after Erik Johnson announced his retirement from the NHL, the longtime defenseman has landed a major job in sports media.

ESPN announced on Tuesday that it has hired Johnson as an NHL game analyst for the 2025-26 season.

ESPN announces Stanley Cup Champion, Olympic medalist & ’06 No. 1 #NHL Draft pick Erik Johnson as an NHL analyst for the ’25-’26 season pic.twitter.com/UPVX4QRZPj

— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) October 14, 2025

Johnson responded to the news on X: “As a kid I idolized Thorne, Clement, Melrose, Levy & Buccigross. To call games with some of them on ESPN is going to be surreal. Can’t wait, let’s go!”

As a kid I idolized Thorne, Clement, Melrose, Levy & Buccigross. To call games with some of them on @espn is going to be surreal. Can’t wait, let’s go! https://t.co/wx4GGaJxlB

— Erik Johnson (@6ErikJohnson) October 14, 2025

Erik Johnson was selected by the St. Louis Blues with the No. 1 overall pick of the 2006 NHL Draft. He proceeded to play 17 NHL seasons, including 14 years for the Colorado Avalanche.

With the Avalanche, Johnson won a Stanley Cup in 2022. After spending time with the Buffalo Sabres and Philadelphia Flyers over the last few years, he was traded back to Colorado in March and finished his career with the Avalanche. Additionally, he won a silver medal with Team USA in the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Johnson, 37, revealed at his retirement press conference last week that he was set to do color commentary for Air Force and Denver college hockey games, as well as studio work for the Avalanche. He added that there’s “something else that [he] can’t say right now that might be popping up here.”

“I’m going to try and do a few different things this year and see what I like,” Johnson said during his retirement press conference. “I’m going to do color commentary for DU and Air Force games, and studio for the Avs, and something else that I can’t say right now that might be popping up here.”

We now know the “something else” is ESPN.