A legend has left the building.

For now.

Erik Johnson announced Wednesday his retirement as a player in the NHL after 1,023 career games, 731 of which came as a member of the Colorado Avalanche. Perhaps some appearances on Altitude TV calling some Avalanche games are in his future, as he seemed like a natural during the Avalanche Alumni Game this August, but we’ll have to wait and see what his future holds.

With his playing career now coming to an end, let’s take a trip down memory lane and look back at some of Johnson’s best moments in the burgundy and blue.

First goal against his former team

In his second game with the Avalanche, less than a week after being acquired, Johnson stuck it to his former team, the St. Louis Blues. Late in the third period of a tie game, he snagged the puck along the boards, cut to the middle of the ice and beat Ty Conklin down low, giving the Avalanche the lead. The end to that season was brutal for Colorado, but that one at least had to feel good for “EJ.”

Late-game hustle saves a goal

The ending of Game 1 in 2014 between the Avalanche and Wild was nutty. Paul Stastny tied the game late in regulation before scoring the winner in overtime, but none of that would have taken place if not for Erik Johnson’s hustle with 90 seconds left in regulation. The Wild dumped the puck toward an empty net and it looked like it was slowly going to trickle in and give the Wild the early series lead. Instead, Johnson never got off his horse, hustling back and sweeping the puck away from the goal line, keeping it a one-goal game. The rest is history.

Defending his buddies

Cultures don’t change overnight. It takes time, and there are certain moments where you can tell a team is building something special. This was one of them.

In December 2017, during a relatively meaningless game between the Avalanche and Arizona Coyotes, Zac Rinaldo took a run at Nathan MacKinnon. Sam Girard skated up to Rinaldo and before he could do anything, Rinaldo hit him with a sucker punch. Johnson didn’t like that and proceeded to run in and defend his two buddies, raining haymakers on Rinaldo’s head. This was an Avalanche team just a few months removed from a horrific 48-point season. Moments like that bring a team together. When you look back at the Avalanche’s run since 2017, you can’t forget this one.

Overtime send-off

The Avalanche had clinched a playoff spot just by getting to overtime, but Erik Johnson wanted to send the fans home extra happy in April 2019. Taking a feed from MacKinnon, Johnson beat Connor Hellebuyck on the blocker side to give the Avalanche the 3-2 win over the Jets. After scoring, Johnson proceeded to be mauled by his teammates, who were excited to head back to the postseason for the second straight year.

It all started with EJ

Before the Avalanche could lift Lord Stanley in 2022, they had to get out of the second round. Darren Helm’s late goal in Game 6 against the Blues to send the Avalanche to the conference finals started with a rush up the ice by Johnson, who eluded a forechecker in the defensive zone to get the puck up the ice. He dropped the puck to Logan O’Connor, who then sent it over to Helm. You know what happened from there.

Lifting the Cup

Years of fighting through the lows to eventually get to the highs paid off for Johnson and the Avalanche, as they took down the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games to win it all in 2022. Gabriel Landeskog, as captain, was the first to lift the Cup, but was there ever any doubt who he’d hand it to? Of course it was going to be Johnson, his best friend and oldest teammate in Colorado.

Return to Denver

This one’s cheating as he wasn’t wearing an Avalanche uniform, but it took place in Denver so we have to include it. On Dec. 13, 2023, Johnson returned to Ball Arena as a member of the Buffalo Sabres, his first game back since leaving in free agency. He was given a hero’s welcome, as fans showered an emotional Johnson with a standing ovation during a TV timeout in the first period.

What I’m hearing

• No, Colorado’s power play hasn’t looked all that different in terms of how it will set up in the offensive zone this preseason compared to six months ago. Here’s what Dave Hakstol had to say about it when asked by The Denver Gazette if he’d be looking to make big changes to the power play.

“This has been a dominant power play for many, many years,” he said. “I think the right word is, if we can add a little bit, if we tweak a little bit, but no, absolutely not (making big changes). These guys, they’ve been doing what they do for a long time and they’re very good at it.”

• If Mackenzie Blackwood isn’t ready to start the year, Trent Miner will begin the season on the Avalanche and might have to play games. What is the team’s confidence level in him?

“Well, it’s OK. I mean, to be determined, right?” Bednar said. “He’s played some good games for us. I like the fact that he started in the (ECHL) and had to fight his way to the American League. Last year, he fights his way into the starting role and now he’s here. It’s the natural progression for him.”

What I’m seeing

• Gavin Brindley doesn’t need waivers, which unfortunately puts him at risk to be sent down to the AHL regardless of how well he’s played this camp. He once again was noticeable against a Vegas lineup filled with NHL regulars. I’m still skeptical of the Victor Olofsson fit on the third line, so if Brindley plays well in the AHL, he’s an option to take that spot if it doesn’t work out.
• The brutal injury to Alex Barkov in Florida makes the NHL feel even more wide open heading into the season. With Barkov, the Panthers were the easy favorites, but it’s going to be difficult for them to win a third straight Cup without their most important player. That’s an NHL-altering injury and a huge blow to Finland at the Olympics.

What I’m thinking

• Minnesota didn’t have much of a choice when it came to Kirill Kaprizov. He held all the power and he used it, commanding a whopping $17 million per-year from the organization. If the Wild let him walk, they’d have to start all over again, so they decided to pay him what he wanted.

We’re in unprecedented times in the NHL. The salary cap is projected to continue to grow for the next few years. Are players who previously would make $8-9 million per season suddenly going to see a bump over $10 million? It seems that way.

• One last word on Erik Johnson. He was one of the only players I’ve covered who would consistently call you by your first name when you asked a question. Just an overall great guy to deal with. He’d be a fantastic addition to any television broadcast, but we all know he’s a busy guy with those horses of his. Plenty of options for him to choose from in his post-playing career, all of which he’d probably excel in.