Gabriel Landeskog helped Erik Johnson celebrate 1,000 games

Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog and defenseman Erik Johnson remain good friends to this day.

And even though Johnson now plays for the Philadelphia Flyers, it’s fitting Colorado was in town to help him celebrate reaching 1,000 career games in the NHL.

Johnson spent 13 years with the Avs, and was a key member of the 2022 Stanley Cup champion. Even though he’s no longer playing for Colorado, the core members of the team are still tight with Johnson.

That’s why it was cool that Gabriel Landeskog was part of the pregame ceremony on Monday night in Philadelphia.

Gabriel Landeskog joined Erik Johnson on the ice in Philly to celebrate his 1,000 NHL games! 💙

📺: @NHLNetwork pic.twitter.com/iG897a7Ypk

— NHL (@NHL) November 19, 2024

The Flyers also posted a video for “EJ” that featured appearances from the likes of Landeskog, Cale Makar, Nathan MacKinnon and Peyton Manning. Reaching 1,000 NHL game is a big deal, and it’s being treated as such.

The newest member of the 1️⃣0️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ games club.

Congratulations, @6ErikJohnson! #LetsGoFlyers pic.twitter.com/ojXzpefgXW

— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) November 19, 2024

This is a cool moment for Johnson. And again, it’s very special the Avalanche’s schedule lined up with this milestone. In 717 games with Colorado, Johnson scored 68 goals and added 178 assists. He spent last year in Buffalo before signing with the Flyers this offseason.

And as guys like Makar mentioned, Johnson was a big mentor in the Colorado locker room, allowing them to finally reach the mountaintop. He’ll certainly be honored by the Avalanche in a big way whenever he decides to call it a career.