Canadian utility forward Rebecca Johnston, a nearly two-decade veteran of the CWHL, PWHPA and Canadian national team, today confirmed her retirement from pro hockey the day after her 36th birthday, capping her career with two Clarkson Cups, two World Championship titles and three Olympic Gold medals.

A native of Sudbury, Ontario, Johnston emerged as a standout at Cornell University, being named a Patty Kazmaier Award finalist in all three seasons with the Big Red. Johnston would begin her pro career in the CWHL, spending a season with the Toronto Furies before her final five seasons in the league were spent with the Calgary Inferno, winning league MVP honours in 2015 and a two Clarkson Cups in 2016 and 2019. Johnston would remain in Calgary with the PWHPA after the CWHL folded in 2019, but would not make the jump to the PWHL in 2024, instead working professionally as a development coach for the NHL’s Calgary Flames.

Johnston would first join Team Canada’s senior club at the 2007 Four Nations Cup at age 18, her first of eleven appearances at the Cup, capturing five Gold (2007, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014) and six Silver (2008, 2011, 2012, 2016, 2017, 2018) medals in a twelve year span, only missing the tournament in 2015. She would make her World Championship debut only months later, her first of another eleven appearances, winning her first of eight Silver (2008, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2023) medals, along with two Gold (2012, 2021) and one Bronze (2019) medal. Johnson capped her career with three Gold (2010, 2014, 2022) and one Silver (2018) medals in four Olympic appearances throughout her career.

Over the course of her career, Johnston would capture the IHLC a staggering 22 times, first in the lead-up to her 2007 Four Nations Cup debut, with the final coming sixteen years later at the 2023 Rivalry Series. We wish Rebecca and her family the very best for her retirement and the things to come!

Photo Credit: TSN – IIHF – HHOF – IOC