Forward Reese Johnson knows how to dish out a hit. And it took him only two preseason games under new Blackhawks coach Luke Richardson to make that abundantly clear.
“He went right after [Mo] Seider, their best defenseman, physically,” Richardson recalled of the Hawks-Red Wings game last weekend. “Not trying to hurt him — just kind of [ticking] him off. He was in his face and ran him a few times, and it gets everyone else all grumpy. [Dylan] Larkin went after him once because of it.
“He knows that’s what it’s going to take for him to play in this league. He’s going to be a pesky, feisty guy.”
Indeed, up to this point, Johnson’s eagerness to throw his body around has created a role and defined his identity on the Hawks. In 37 games last season, his first as an NHL regular, he was credited with a whopping 141 hits and ranked fourth among eligible forwards in hits per minute. On the other hand, he tallied just one goal and five assists.
Realistically, at 24, he isn’t going to suddenly evolve into a dynamic playmaker. But he’d like to diversify his game as much as possible. He might rarely score, but if he can finish shifts in the offensive zone after starting them in the defensive zone, he can at least help teammates generate scoring chances.
“A huge part of [my game] is bringing energy, but there’s a time — and I’ve talked about this with management and coaches — where there needs to be calmness in my game to hold onto pucks and make plays,” Johnson said. “And then you have to be able to switch that over when you’re going on the forecheck as the ‘F1.’
“It’s not always 100 miles an hour. There’s times where you have to go finish checks and all that stuff, but that’s not all of it.”
Hawks captain Jonathan Toews has been a strong influence in Johnson’s quest to find that calmness. Johnson lived in Toews’ home last season. It wasn’t always literally calm — Johnson brought “the whole family,” including his girlfriend and dog, Toews noted with a laugh — but the two players, at vastly different stages of life and career, developed a close friendship.
They both grew up in western Canada — Johnson in Regina, Saskatchewan, Toews in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Their personalities are similar, rooted in understated hard work. Both live private lives. Neither is particularly active on social media. Yet in private conversations, they often dove into the psychology and meaning of hockey and sports in general.
“We got past the surface-layer stuff and got to know each other on a deeper level and talked about a lot of different aspects of the game,” Toews said. “It’s fun to learn about how guys think, and who they are as people, and what makes them good at hockey and what you can take from them.”
All the while, Johnson watched how Toews went about his business on and off the ice, then tried to integrate those lessons into his own style. Faceoffs are one example of the difference that made. While most rookie centers struggle at the dot, Johnson won 50.5% of his 212 draws.
When Johnson and Toews were sidelined simultaneously from late January to early March — Johnson recovering from a broken collarbone, Toews from a concussion — they skated one-on-one every day, which gave Johnson even more insight into Toews’ routines.
“Seeing how he carries himself with his calmness and poise with the puck, a lot of guys can learn from a guy like him,” Johnson said. “The way he holds onto pucks and his demeanor with the puck is pretty special.”
Johnson has now found his own place to live in Chicago, enjoying the job security of a two-year, one-way contract he signed in March. It appears he’ll probably outlast Toews on the Hawks.
Toews believes Johnson’s efforts to evolve into a multi-dimensional player will afford him a long NHL career.
“He does all the little things right,” Toews said. “He’s [working] 24/7 on how he takes care of his body and gets ready for the next game and focuses his mind. [He’s always] trying to totally scan the territory and make sure he’s not leaving any bases untouched.
“It’s fun to see with a young guy like that. He’s going to learn and get even better. I’ve really enjoyed being around him.”
