If you ask Kent Johnson whether he was nervous to play in front of his family and friends for the first time on January 27, 2023, he’s likely to say no. But at the end of the day, a game’s a game, regardless of who’s in attendance. Johnson estimated that he’d set aside anywhere from 15 to 20 tickets for that game, though the final count of friends and family in attendance was a lot higher. Still, the young forward kept his cool.
“I’ve played in some big games before with more on the line before that one,” he explained. “You want to perform well for family and friends and whatnot, but I’ve played in a couple gold-medal games, Big-10 Championship games, college playoff games, so I feel like it wasn’t the most nerve-wracking.”
The on-ice part of the game wasn’t overly different from any other match, for Johnson. Off the ice, on the other hand, was a completely different experience. Johnson recalled setting aside “15 to 20” tickets for family and friends, though many others based in-town grabbed some on their own and met up with him after the game.
“It was really special and pretty cool after, seeing everyone after the game. It’s super fun every year. It’s really fun. Definitely the first year [was] pretty special.”
Since that particular day, Johnson has played in Vancouver three other times, with the most recent being on November 8, 2025. But those weren’t his first times visiting Rogers Arena; as a kid, Johnson frequented the Canucks’ home-rink plenty of times as a spectator, rather than a player.
“I went to a ton of games. Me and my dad, my brother, went to tons together, and obviously with my mom sometimes too [...] probably like five games a year.”
Just like many other young hockey players growing up in BC in the late-2000s, it was a pair of Canucks legends who were Johnson’s favourites. While he has yet to meet Daniel and Henrik Sedin, both of whom now work for the Canucks in a player development role, the forward noted that it’s definitely on his list. The twins played a big role in helping shape Johnson’s game.
“When I was younger, I think the Sedins just opened my mind up to passing the puck. Those guys would always pass — throw them one, they’re always looking to pass and always looking to make the backdoor play. Probably the fans would be mad at them sometimes, yelling ‘shoot’ and stuff, so I think I kind of got that a bit from them, because I think I’m that type of guy too — I could probably frustrate coaches for not shooting the puck sometimes when I’m in the slot, but I think sometimes, looking for the backdoor guy like the Sedins can help a lot.”
The Canuck influence doesn’t stop there, however, as Johnson also noted Elias Pettersson as one of those players whose game he has liked to watch.
“When Pettersson came in the league as a rookie and was lighting it up, I really liked him, too,” he explained. “It’s been cool playing against him.”
That first game against the Canucks in Vancouver was a special one for Johnson, there’s no question about that. But as much as many may say his NHL journey began in Vancouver, where he heard Kirk Herbstreit call his name virtually at the house of best friend Tyler Cristall, this isn’t where the journey truly started.
To truly recall the beginning of Johnson’s NHL career, you’d have to return to the small city located on the southern dip of the Burrard Inlet. Past the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge that leads to the North Shore Winter Club, past the highway leading up to the Burnaby Winter Club, and up to that park on the side of Eagle Ridge Mountain. Travel to the rec centre framed by lush trees and washing waves.
From winning NCAA championships with the University of Michigan to representing Canada at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, Johnson’s career may have taken him all over the world, but his roots are still deeply ingrained in that little city at the end of the inlet.