Ivan Wilfred "Ching" Johnson (December 7, 1897 – June 17, 1979) was a Canadian professional
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice ...
defenceman
Defence or defense (in American English) in ice hockey is a player position that is primarily responsible for preventing the opposing team from scoring. They are often referred to as defencemen, D, D-men or blueliners (the latter a reference t ...
who played for the
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its ho ...
and
New York Americans
The New York Americans, colloquially known as the Amerks, were a professional ice hockey team based in New York City from 1925 to 1942. They were the third expansion team in the history of the National Hockey League (NHL) and the second to play ...
in the
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey sports league, league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranke ...
(NHL) between 1926 and 1938. He was an original member of the Rangers and was part of two
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup (french: La Coupe Stanley) is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, an ...
championship winning teams. He was named to the NHL's
post-season all-star team four times and played in the
Ace Bailey Benefit Game, the first
all-star game
An all-star game is an exhibition game that purports to showcase the best players (the "stars") of a sports league. The exhibition is between two teams organized solely for the event, usually representing the league's teams based on region or d ...
in league history.
A veteran of the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
, Johnson did not begin playing competitive hockey until he was in his 20s and was nearly 30 when he first broke into the NHL. Regarded as one of the hardest bodycheckers to ever play the game, he was a fan favourite and went on to play 436 games with the Rangers and Americans before spending his final seasons in the minor leagues as a player, coach and official. Johnson was inducted into the
Hockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame (french: Temple de la renommée du hockey) is a museum and hall of fame located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League (NHL) rec ...
in 1958, and is also a member of the
Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and Museum
The Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and Museum is a Canadian museum in Winnipeg, Manitoba, dedicated to honoring the history and achievements of sports in Manitoba. The organization began in 1980, and then opened a museum in The Forks in 1993. Afte ...
and the
Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame The Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame and Museum is a hall of fame and museum for ice hockey in Manitoba, located on the main level of the Canada Life Centre in downtown Winnipeg.
It was established in 1985, when the first honoured members were named ...
.
Early life
Johnson was born in
Winnipeg
Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749 ...
,
Manitoba
Manitoba ( ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population o ...
on December 7, 1898. He was an accomplished
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly ...
and
lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport played with a lacrosse stick and a lacrosse ball. It is the oldest organized sport in North America, with its origins with the indigenous people of North America as early as the 12th century. The game was extensiv ...
player in his youth.
He enlisted in the
Canadian Expeditionary Force
The Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) was the expeditionary field force of Canada during the First World War. It was formed following Britain’s declaration of war on Germany on 15 August 1914, with an initial strength of one infantry divisi ...
in January 1916, joining the Third Division Ammunition Column. He arrived in England on March 25, 1916, and was in France by mid-July that year, re-assigned to the Fourth Division, where he helped deliver ammunition to the
front. In November 1917 he was admitted to hospital for
verneral disease
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs), also referred to as sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and the older term venereal diseases, are infections that are spread by sexual activity, especially vaginal intercourse, anal sex, and oral se ...
, and spent 84 days there, and on June 22, 1918 was awarded the Good Conduct Badge. Johnson returned to Canada in May 1919 and was discharged later that month.
Back in Winnipeg, Johnson worked for an electric light company.
He first played competitive hockey in 1919 when he joined the
Winnipeg Monarchs of the Winnipeg Senior Hockey League.
He played two seasons with the Monarchs before moving to
Eveleth, Minnesota where he joined
the local team to play three seasons in the
United States Amateur Hockey Association (USAHA). On the Eveleth team he was a teammate of his younger brother Adrian "Ade" Johnson who played at left wing. He then played three seasons in Minneapolis, concluding in 1925–26 with the
Minneapolis Millers
The Minneapolis Millers were an American professional minor league baseball team that played in Minneapolis, Minnesota, through 1960. In the 19th century a different Minneapolis Millers were part of the Western League. The team played first in ...
.
He was named a league all-star on defence in both 1924 and 1926.
First nicknamed "Ivan the Terrible", Johnson later earned the nickname "Ching" when fans of the defenceman would shout "Ching, Ching Chinaman" to support him. Though he was of Irish descent, he was called "Chinaman", then "Chink" and finally "Ching" as he was considered to have an Asian looking face.
His physical style of defence made him immensely popular with fans, and he was often seen with a wide grin any time he made or received contact during a game.
National Hockey League career
It was from Minneapolis that Johnson was recruited, along with his defensive partner
Taffy Abel
Clarence John "Taffy" Abel (May 28, 1900 – August 1, 1964) was an American professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League with the New York Rangers and Chicago Black Hawks between 1926 and 1934. Born in 1900 in Sault ...
, to play for the newly formed
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its ho ...
.
Offered the position at the age of 28, Johnson insisted on a three-year contract as he believed it would be the only one he would get.
He made his NHL debut in the Rangers opening game on November 16, 1926 in a 1–0 victory over the
Montreal Maroons. A rugged and physical defenceman,
Johnson appeared in only 27 of the Rangers' 44 games as he suffered a broken collar bone early in the season, but still finished second on the Rangers with 66
penalties in minutes
A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for an infringement of the rules. Most penalties are enforced by sending the offending player to a penalty box for a set number of minutes. During the penalty the player may not participate in play. Penaltie ...
. In
1927–28, his total of 146 penalty minutes led the team and was second in the NHL to
Eddie Shore
Edward William Shore (November 23, 1902 – March 16, 1985) was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman, principally for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League, and the longtime owner of the Springfield Indians of the American ...
's 165. He added a career high 10 goals,
and helped the Rangers win their first
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup (french: La Coupe Stanley) is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, an ...
. Additionally, he was voted by the fans as the most valuable player of either New York team.
Johnson was lost to the Rangers early in the
1928–29 season when he suffered a broken ankle during a December game against the Maroons. A couple days after his injury, he had to be rescued when a fire threatened the Montreal hospital at which he was convalescing. Johnson missed virtually the entire regular season with the injury, but returned in time for the 1929 playoffs, and was credited with improving the Rangers' play as they reached the final against the
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team has been in existence since 1924, making ...
.
His contract having expired following the season, Johnson was a hold-out when the Rangers opened their training camp prior to the
1929–30 NHL season
The 1929–30 NHL season was the 13th season of the National Hockey League. Ten teams played 44 games each. The Montreal Canadiens upset the heavily favoured Boston Bruins two games to none in the Stanley Cup Finals.
League business
The league ...
as the team was reluctant to meet his demands for increased pay. When the impasse dragged into November, he threatened to quit the game altogether before finally agreeing to a new three-year deal. He appeared in 30 games for the Rangers that season, but again missed significant time, this time suffering a broken jaw. Again, Johnson returned in time for the playoffs, but was forced to wear a steel mask to protect his face.
Johnson remained healthy in
1930–31, appearing in 44 games and was named to the league's Second
All-Star team on defence.
In addition to being named to the first All-Star team in
1931–32, Johnson finished just one vote behind
Howie Morenz
Howard William Morenz (September 21, 1902 – March 8, 1937) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. Beginning in 1923, he played centre for three National Hockey League (NHL) teams: the Montreal Canadiens (in two stints), the Chicago Blac ...
for the
Hart Trophy as the league's most valuable player. He was again named to the first All-Star team in
1932–33 and led the Rangers to their second Stanley Cup; his defensive play was credited as being key to the team's success.
In
1933–34, Johnson earned his fourth consecutive post-season all-star nod, on the second team.
He also participated in the first
all-star game
An all-star game is an exhibition game that purports to showcase the best players (the "stars") of a sports league. The exhibition is between two teams organized solely for the event, usually representing the league's teams based on region or d ...
in NHL history as the league held a
benefit game to raise money for Toronto's
Ace Bailey, whose career had been ended by a violent hit early in the season.
Johnson contemplated retirement following that season as he again found himself in a dispute with the Rangers on a new contract, but signed prior to the season's start. His season was again reduced by injury in
1934–35 but he returned in time for the playoffs.
Prior to the
1936–37 season, the Rangers signed Johnson to serve as the defensive coach while he continued to play. He appeared in 35 games but scored no points.
Seeing little playing time, and having an offer to coach a minor league team, Johnson requested that the Rangers give him his outright release following the season. Believing that he had become too slow to play, the team agreed.
He subsequently signed with the
New York Americans
The New York Americans, colloquially known as the Amerks, were a professional ice hockey team based in New York City from 1925 to 1942. They were the third expansion team in the history of the National Hockey League (NHL) and the second to play ...
, with whom he played one final NHL season in
1937–38.
Post-NHL career
At age 40, Johnson returned to the Minneapolis Millers as a player-coach for the 1938–39 season. He quickly became the
American Hockey Association's most popular star as large crowds attended games he participated in, and was named an AHA all-star in 1939.
He served in the dual role for two years before resigning in 1940. Johnson then coached for a time in California, before returning east to coach the
Washington Lions
The Washington Lions were a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They were founded as a member of the American Hockey League in the 1941–42 season. The Lions played for two seasons and then disbanded during World War II. Anot ...
of the
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary Minor league#Ice hockey, developmental league for the National Hockey League (NHL). Since the 2010–11 AHL se ...
.
He also served as an official in the
Eastern Hockey League
The Eastern Hockey League was a minor professional United States ice hockey league.
Eastern Amateur Hockey League (1933–1953)
The league was founded in 1933 as the Eastern Amateur Hockey League (EAHL). The league was founded by Tommy Lockhart, ...
. During one game in 1944 in which he was working as a linesman, Johnson forgot he was no longer playing and threw a bodycheck on a player. When asked after the game about the incident, he stated it was "instinct" that led him to throw the hit.
In recognition of his career, Johnson was inducted into the
Hockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame (french: Temple de la renommée du hockey) is a museum and hall of fame located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League (NHL) rec ...
as a player in 1958.
He was also inducted into the
Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and Museum
The Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and Museum is a Canadian museum in Winnipeg, Manitoba, dedicated to honoring the history and achievements of sports in Manitoba. The organization began in 1980, and then opened a museum in The Forks in 1993. Afte ...
in 1994,
and is an honoured member of the
Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame The Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame and Museum is a hall of fame and museum for ice hockey in Manitoba, located on the main level of the Canada Life Centre in downtown Winnipeg.
It was established in 1985, when the first honoured members were named ...
. The latter hall named him to province's all-century second all-star team.
After leaving hockey, Johnson worked construction in
Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
,
and later retired to the nearby community of
Silver Spring, Maryland
Silver Spring is a census-designated place (CDP) in southeastern Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, near Washington, D.C. Although officially unincorporated, in practice it is an edge city, with a population of 81,015 at the 2020 censu ...
.
He and his wife Ellen had two children: Geraldine and James. He had four grandchildren and one great-grandchild at the time of his death in 1979.
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Ching
1897 births
1979 deaths
Canadian Expeditionary Force soldiers
Canadian ice hockey defencemen
Canadian people of Irish descent
Hockey Hall of Fame inductees
Ice hockey people from Manitoba
Minneapolis Millers (AHA) players
New York Americans players
New York Rangers players
Sportspeople from Winnipeg
Stanley Cup champions
Winnipeg Monarchs players
Eveleth Rangers players