Flames hire Olympian Rebecca Johnston as a full-time player

Rebecca Johnston, the decorated forward for the Canada women’s hockey team, recently joined a wave of women joining the hockey divisions of NHL teams when the Calgary Flames brought them on board.

The 32-year-old from Sudbury, Ontario, will work a full-time job in player development, prospect evaluation and on-ice instruction as well as with the Flames Foundation in community programs, the Flames said Tuesday.

Johnston, a three-time Olympic gold medalist, was the oldest player on the Canada team that won gold in Beijing in February.

She paused her playing career to rest after Beijing and, after some discussions with Flames general manager Brad Treliving, served as a guest coach at the prospecting camp in July.

“I had a great experience there, so I really wanted to do something in player development if it was possible, and it just came from there,” Johnston told The Canadian Press.

“We kept talking and seeing what was available. I was also very interested in the community grassroots program. Calgary, I’ve been here a long time now. I now feel part of the community. I want to grow the game here.

“I was interested in those two parts, so they could play a dual role for me, which was great. I can really do both things that I enjoy doing.”

She played for Canadian teams that won Olympic gold in 2010 and 2014 and silver in 2018. Johnston ranks eighth all-time in national team points with 61 goals and 77 assists in 174 career games.

She made her national team debut at 18, wore the Maple Leaf to 11 World Championships and won three golds. Johnston was named to the World Tournament All-Star Teams in both 2011 and 2016.

She did not report for selection camp in August or play at the recent World Championships in Herning, Denmark, where her teammates beat USA 2-1 for gold on September 4.

“I’m not retiring or anything,” Johnston said. “My body definitely needed a break. My back gave me a lot of problems. I’m trying to find out. Taking the year off will be really good for me.”

She hasn’t ruled out playing games for the Professional Women’s Hockey Players’ Association (PWHPA), of which she is a member, but Johnston’s priority is to establish herself in her new Flames job.

There will be plenty of work for them in the Saddledome because the Flames moved their American Hockey League affiliate to Calgary this season.

“I think I can really immerse myself in the game and really help prospects get through some of the things I’ve been through and help them get to the next level,” Johnston said.

Former Canadian teammate Hayley Wickenheiser was among the first women to break into hockey in the NHL when the Toronto Maple Leafs hired her as Assistant Director of Player Development in 2018.

The Leafs improved their title to assistant general manager of player personnel that year. Wickenheiser is one of the five female general assemblies in the NHL.

“Hayley was pretty much the first one I knew about, and then you hear about so many other great women hockey players who did so much in their hockey career when they made the switch from the NHL men’s team,” Johnston said. “It’s cool to see that that’s more of the norm.”

The Montreal Canadiens hired current Canada captain Marie-Philip Poulin for a part-time staff role as a player this summer.

Former national team goaltender Manon Rheaume became hockey ops and prospects adviser to the Los Angeles Kings in July.

Johnston spoke to Meghan Duggan, former captain of the US women’s ice hockey team and now manager of player development for the New Jersey Devils, about how she might get a similar job.

“I’ve played hockey my whole life and thinking about the next steps and thinking about what to do when I’m not playing hockey is obviously a challenge, a big step,” Johnston said.

“She was just a good person to talk to and get a few details about what she did, how she started and how it all came about.”

Johnston was dropped from the squad for the 2020 World Cup, which was ultimately canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

She then overcame an Achilles tendon injury to play her way back into a team that won world championship gold in 2021 and be named to her fourth Olympic team in 2022.