After retiring from the NHL in October, Erik Johnson was close to taking a Flyers front-office role, but chose ESPN instead—viewing it as a one-year trial. Now in his first year calling playoff hockey for ESPN, teammates and broadcasters say he’s made the TV t
When Erik Johnson walked away from the NHL in October, the next step wasn’t just waiting somewhere in the background—it was already being offered to him in Philadelphia.
Johnson had “almost” taken a job in the Flyers’ front office after retiring. particularly because he knew general manager Danny Brière and team president Keith Jones would “wait a year” for him if he wanted. But at 38, he chose a different kind of debut: an offer from ESPN, which he described as a one-year trial.
“If I hated television, he could start working with the Flyers the next year,” Johnson explained, framing it like an audition rather than a permanent exit.
His relationship with the organization didn’t start with retirement paperwork—it came from something more immediate. Johnson said Keith Jones reached out after hearing one of his games, telling him, “Don’t do anything else. You’re right where you’re supposed to be.” Johnson added that for as long as Jones did TV work. it was “a good compliment.”.
Instead of making the jump into the building, Johnson leaned into the camera.
His path into ESPN wasn’t a sudden reinvention. The groundwork began in 2024 at the NHL’s broadcast boot camp. a new NHL initiative that year designed to teach NHL players the basics of television and connect them with local and national broadcasters and executives. The training included hands-on instruction aimed at what it takes to be a rinkside presence—comfortable. prepared. and recognizable to viewers.
NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Ashlyn Sullivan was one of the instructors. She led a seminar on becoming a rinkside analyst. and even from working with Johnson on the Flyers broadcasts. she noticed habits she said few analysts have: he always used her name when answering a question. and he would stay put until the interview ended.
Sullivan described the difference in real terms. “I’m so grateful [the players] give us our time. period. but normally they just run off. which isn’t the best look on TV because you’re standing there awkwardly. ” Sullivan said. She added that Johnson would remain in place until Sullivan went to commercial break and then hold his gaze into the camera. “I was like, ‘Who teaches you these things?’”.
Johnson also has a reputation for giving people his time—even in moments when he wasn’t guaranteed minutes on the ice. Sullivan said that even when Johnson was a healthy scratch or playing few minutes for the Flyers. he gave time to the social media team and to the broadcast. Johnson himself joked that he was “always the guy trying to avoid doing media. ” but Sullivan said she had already seen enough before the camp to know he wasn’t faking it. She said the personality and approach were right for TV.
“You just know with some players that they’re going to be good at this, and Erik was always that,” Sullivan said. She described him as charismatic and said he “gets it”—what hockey is trying to do by adding more personality to the sport and making players more marketable to fans.
Now, deep into his first year calling playoff hockey, Johnson’s transition has drawn praise from inside the booth. Play-by-play man Bob Wischusen said Johnson is a “natural” on television with “hardly any learning curve.”
Johnson and Wischusen had never met before they were paired together in January as part of ESPN’s NHL coverage. Johnson works between the benches as a rinkside reporter and analyst to Wischusen’s play-by-play.
Even that first working connection came fast. Wischusen said they “immediately clicked,” describing it as a relationship that feels like they’ve known each other for years. Wischusen said they can “goof on each other. ” and that Johnson gives it back “as good as he gets. ” which brings laughs. He said that has “accelerated the relationship a few steps down the road.”.
Wischusen also pointed to what Johnson brings as a former player. With over 1,000 career games, Wischusen said Johnson can break down the action for fans who may never have played—without oversimplifying the product too much for those who have.
Johnson put it in his own words. “I’m asking a lot of questions I already know the answers to. but I have to ask them. because I know a lot of people that are watching don’t know. ” Johnson said. He added that sometimes he feels like he’s asking a stupid question. but insists it isn’t. because “a lot of people find it interesting.”.
After 17 NHL seasons, Johnson’s credibility also shows up in the way he talks to players and coaches. The No. 1 overall draft pick in 2006. he said he’s already well-known across the league. which gives him comfort when interviewing players and coaches. That comfort matters on TV, where every interaction becomes part of the broadcast.
It also helps that Johnson knows how to separate relationships from responsibility. His season has produced moments that viewers remember—Johnson chirping former Flyers coach John Tortorella, and Johnson getting his allegedly fake tan criticized by former teammate Nathan MacKinnon.
But for Johnson, the job is still the job. He said separating friendship from work isn’t difficult. “I know when a mistake is made — and I’ve made all those mistakes — so if I see it, I’m going to say it,” Johnson said. “At the same time, if they make a great play, I’m going to see it and say it.”
The kind of criticism that comes with being heard doesn’t seem to change how players feel about him. Occasional constructive criticism hasn’t harmed how beloved he is around the league. Now that he’s calling playoff hockey, the difference is a wider audience gets to see why.
Flyers defenseman Jamie Drysdale described Johnson the way teammates do when they aren’t trying to be careful. “He’s the best guy ever,” Drysdale said. “I’d imagine he’s one of the most-liked teammates among the league. He’s got the face for it. he’s freshly got the smile for it. new teeth. new hair. fake tan — he’s unreal. He’s got the good suits. He’s built for it.”.
Between an offer from ESPN and an open door back to the Flyers, Johnson chose the risk that looked like a detour. Instead, it turned into a new role—one where the rink has another kind of audience, and Johnson has become a familiar voice in front of it.
Erik Johnson ESPN Flyers Danny Briere Keith Jones NHL broadcast boot camp Bob Wischusen Ashlyn Sullivan playoff hockey rinkside analyst