Ryan Johansen Announces Retirement At 33
Ryan Johansen’s NHL career has officially come to an end.
Johansen announced his retirement at age 33, closing the book on a 13-season career that included All-Star honors, a Stanley Cup Final run, and more than 900 games played across multiple teams.
Ryan Johansen retires after long NHL career
Johansen was once one of the NHL’s rising stars.
Drafted fourth overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2010, he developed into a top-line center and broke out in 2013-14 with 33 goals and 63 points.
He followed that up with a career-high 71-point season and even earned MVP honors at the NHL All-Star Game.
Ryan Johansen has announced his retirement from professional hockey at the age of 33.
— PuckEmpire (@puckempire) March 19, 2026
Johansen had 202 goals, 578 points through 905 games with Columbus, Nashville, Colorado, & Philadelphia.
He was drafted fourth-overall by Columbus in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. pic.twitter.com/wCPrCGe7cJ
His career changed in 2016 when he was dealt to the Nashville Predators in a blockbuster trade for Seth Jones.
Johansen immediately stepped into a major role and became a key part of the most successful stretch in franchise history.
He helped lead Nashville to the 2017 Stanley Cup Final and was one of their most relied-on forwards during multiple deep playoff runs, even though an injury forced him to miss the Final itself.
During his time in Nashville, Johansen recorded 110 goals and 362 total points across 533 games played.
Injuries and late-career struggles shaped final years
After signing an eight-year, $64 million deal with Nashville, Johansen remained productive but never quite reached the same offensive heights again.
His role gradually declined, and by the later years of his contract, his production had dipped significantly.
#CBJ fans, how will you remember Ryan Johansen?
— Mark Scheig (@mark_scheig) March 19, 2026
A trade to the Colorado Avalanche in 2023 was meant to offer a fresh start, but things didn’t click.
He finished with just 23 points in 63 games before being moved again, this time to the Philadelphia Flyers, where he never suited up due to ongoing hip issues.
A contract dispute followed, and it became increasingly clear that injuries would prevent a return to the ice.
Johansen finishes his career with over 900 NHL games, totaling 202 goals and 376 assists for 578 points.
His time in Nashville alone saw him climb into the franchise’s top scorers, and his role in their 2017 Cup run remains a career-defining moment for him.
Photo Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
