Eddie Johnston

Edward Joseph Johnston (born November 24, 1935) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender and former coach and general manager in the National Hockey League. While being the last NHL goaltender to play every minute of every game in a season, his professional career spanned more than 50 continuous years (22 as a player and 31 as management); more than 45 of them were within the NHL. He won two Stanley Cups as a player with the Boston Bruins in 1970 and 1972, and a third in 2009 as senior advisor for hockey operations with the Pittsburgh Penguins, an organization he served in various capacities for 25 years.

Playing career

Johnston grew up in an anglophone neighborhood in Montreal and was often called "E.J.", a nickname that is still often used today. He became interested in ice hockey as a youth and became a goaltender.

He began his hockey career as a teenager in 1953 playing for the hometown Montreal Junior Royals of the Quebec Junior Hockey League. After a six year minor league career, principally in the Western Hockey League, Johnston was called up to the Boston Bruins in 1962, who owned his rights and for whom he would play the bulk of his NHL career. In his second season, he became notable for being the final NHL goaltender to play every minute of every game during the regular season. However, the Bruins were a mediocre team in his first five seasons, finishing out of the playoffs every year and generally in last place.