Tyler Johnson reflected on his time with the Tampa Bay Lightning and credited Steve Yzerman with convincing him to sign. He revealed Yzerman spoke about the Lightning offering equal opportunities and even spoke to his father.
Johnson signed an entry-level contract with the Lightning in 2013 as an undrafted forward. He was fresh off an impressive college hockey career and was a highly sought-after player.
Yzerman, 61, served as Tampa’s general manager at the time and was eager to win a Stanley Cup. He had a Hall of Fame career as a player with the Detroit Red Wings. After retiring, Yzerman transitioned to a managerial role, in which he experienced success with Canada at the Olympics.
Johnson, 36, spent the majority of his NHL career with the Lightning, winning back-to-back Stanley Cups. He looks back fondly at his time with Tampa, particularly his first phone call with Yzerman.
Tyler Johnson Reveals How Steve Yzerman Convinced Him to Join Tampa
Tyler Johnson revealed that Steve Yzerman’s phone call was a key reason why he ultimately signed with Tampa.
Given his age, Yzerman was in the prime of his career when Johnson was growing up. Because of the respect the Red Wings legend earned, he is viewed in a different light than some of his peers.
Johnson recalled speaking with many different teams before his agent urged him to keep his phone on. That led to a memorable conversation with Yzerman, who was interested in signing the American center.
“All of a sudden I get a phone call. He goes, ‘Hey, this is Steve Yzerman.’ I was like, ‘Oh [expletive].’ That’s pretty cool, right?” Johnson told Ice Guardians Podcast. “[Yzerman] was talking to me for a little bit and just everything that he said just made a lot of sense. He goes, ‘Hey, I don’t care if you’re a first-rounder, undrafted, I don’t care who you are. If you’re a good player, you’re going to make our team.”
He continued:
“[Yzerman] goes, ‘All I want to do is win. I just want all of the best players, all the guys that are going to help us compete.’ He’s like, ‘I think you can be one of those. I just want to let you know that whatever you decide, you’re going to get a fair shot as long as you work hard.'”
Johnson Reveals Yzerman Did Not Make False Promises During Negotiations
Johnson also revealed that Yzerman did not make any false promises during their negotiations. The American center found that to be significant and something that stood out to him during their conversation.
“That was important to me because I think a lot of the other teams, they try to say the right things of saying, ‘You know, you’re going to get first-line AHL, first-line this.’ It’s like, ‘Well, that doesn’t work that way.’ I thought that was very awesome for what he said to me,” Johnson told Ice Guardians.
Johnson then recalled an emotional phone call Yzerman had with his father, which sealed the deal.
‘At the very end though, I thought was icing on the cake, he goes, ‘Hey, can I call your dad?'” Johnson said. “He called my dad, and my dad had tears when he called me afterwards. So, I was like, ‘That’s pretty cool.'”
Ex-Lightning Star Opens Up About Emotional Steve Yzerman Call That Led Him to Tampa