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Colorado Avalanche: 3 Habitual Line Steppers on the Team

By Nadia Archuleta

DENVER, CO - MARCH 28: Linesman Lonnie Cameron #74 holds back Gabriel Landeskog #92 of the Colorado Avalanche as he tries to fight Tim Schaller #59 of the Buffalo Sabres at the Pepsi Center on March 28, 2015 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Michael Martin/NHLI via Getty Images)
DENVER, CO - MARCH 28: Linesman Lonnie Cameron #74 holds back Gabriel Landeskog #92 of the Colorado Avalanche as he tries to fight Tim Schaller #59 of the Buffalo Sabres at the Pepsi Center on March 28, 2015 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Michael Martin/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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GLENDALE, AZ – DECEMBER 23: Erik Johnson #6 of the Colorado Avalanche and Zac Rinaldo #34 of the Arizona Coyotes scuffle in front of the Avalanche bench during the second period at Gila River Arena on December 23, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/NHLI via Getty Images) /

Erik Johnson

2017-18 Penalty Minutes: 58 minutes
Career Penalty Minutes: 418 (637 games played)
NHL Fights: 11
DoPS Suspensions: 2

Defenseman Erik Johnson has avoided team-related suspensions thus far. DoPS-related suspensions… not so much. In fact, he’s been suspended twice.

The first time came in February 2014. Johnson, aiming for Islanders’ center Frans Nielsen’s stick, instead got the Dane’s hand. He broke a small bone in Nielsen’s hand, which earned him a two-game suspension:

The second suspension came just last year. Johnson cross-checks Tampa Bay Lightning skater Vladislav Namestnikov while still in the faceoff circle, and somehow that’s considered boarding:

He got two games for that as well.

Additionally, he’s gotten ejected from games– at least twice in two games I happened to be attending. The second one angered me the most. It came in the home opener against the Minnesota Wild during the 2014-15 season. Johnson labels forward Erik Haula with a clean hit, but he goes down like he’s been creamed. Meanwhile, Johnson’s gigantic body hits the boards and makes a commotion.

I’m glad Erik Haula didn’t win the Stanley Cup with the Vegas Golden Knights.

Anyway, Johnson has been involved in 11 fights in his career. Early on, he… wasn’t great at fighting. He had a tendency to… get pulled down. The most famous example came when he was still a St. Louis player. Stars captain Jamie Benn punched him directly in the face.

Related, I hate Jamie Benn.

Johnson has gotten a lot better. This year, he put a total beat-down on Coyotes tough-guy Zac Rinaldo after the latter sucker-punched tiny Sam Girard:

It was a beautiful thing to see. I just love how Johnson shakes Rinaldo like a terrier with a rat while bending him over the boards.

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