Ryan Johnson’s impressive path to proving his mettle as a professional hockey player from Southern California began a generation before and half of a country away. 

His NHL father, Craig Johnson, was born in St. Paul, Minnesota, the hockey capital of the United States. Minnesota produces more NHL hockey players than any other state in the United States. 

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But Los Angeles became the elder Johnson’s hockey home. He played eight seasons of his career with the L.A. Kings from 1995-2003 and one season with the Anaheim Ducks from 2003-2004. Craig Johnson has also served as an assistant coach for the Ontario Reign, the American Hockey League affiliate of the L.A. Kings, and he currently serves as an assistant coach for the Anaheim Ducks. 

And it was during his days playing with the Kings that his son, Ryan Johnson, was born in Newport Beach, California. 

Interestingly enough, young Johnson would turn out to be a defenseman, unlike his father, who played on the front line as a left wing. But Johnson was undoubtedly inspired by his father and began playing for the Anaheim Junior Ducks in 2015. His time with the Ducks earned him an opportunity with the Sioux Falls Stampede of the United States Hockey League. 

The young Johnson starred for the Stampede, playing stout defense and racking up 25 points in 54 games. 

His superstar performance caught the attention of the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres, who drafted him with the 31st overall pick of the 2019 NHL entry draft. 

Johnson elected to further his development by pursuing a collegiate career, committing to the University of Minnesota, the same college his father Craig attended. 

The four years Johnson spent at Minnesota from 2019-2023 were productive. He led Minnesota’s defensive front and racked up 59 points in 143 collegiate games. He also won a gold medal with Team USA in the 2020-2021 International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship, putting up four points in the Americans’ seven tournament games. 

It only made the Buffalo Sabres more sure they wanted to keep their young defensive stalwart. They signed Johnson to a two-year, entry-level contract near the end of the 2022-2023 season. 

The 2023-2024 season is Johnson’s first full season playing professional hockey and he has been a breakout star. It took him only nine games with the AHL’s Rochester Americans to earn a surprise call-up to the Sabres. 

From his first game with the big club, Johnson proved he belonged. In his NHL debut against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Nov. 4, 2023, he slid a perfect pass down the ice to teammate Jeff Skinner who buried the puck to give the Sabres a 3-2 lead. Johnson’s first NHL point ultimately fueled a 6-4 win over the Leafs. 

Since then, Johnson has played 22 games for the Sabres this season and the team has had success when he’s on the ice, as he has a +/- rating of +2. 

Johnson is surrounded by other young, promising talent on the Sabres — such as Dylan Cozens, Owen Power, Devon Levi, Jack Quinn, JJ Peterka and Zach Benson. The team is inexperienced and has had some growing pains but remains firmly in the playoff race, only seven points from a playoff spot in the competitive Atlantic Division. 

Whether they make the playoffs this season or not, they are sure to be a dangerous team for a long time, especially if they are backed by strong defense from Johnson. 

Even more surely, Johnson is set for a long, productive career, with his father looking on proudly. 

The two of them will forever share a special connection as hockey players whose hearts have  homes on the L.A. ice. 

Ethan Inman is a junior writing about Los Angeles’ unique hockey heroes in his column, “L.A. on Ice,” which runs every other Tuesday.