Wild’s Marcus Johansson reaches 1,000 career games while enjoying resurgent season

Marcus Johansson didn’t coast to 1,000 NHL games.

The 35-year-old forward charged there, playing some of the best hockey of his Wild tenure.

“We’re really lucky to have him,” linemate Matt Boldy said.

In a challenging season that’s finally beginning to click for the Wild, who are victorious in four of their past five games, Johansson has been the beacon of consistency, and he stayed on brand during his milestone night: He helped put in motion the game-winning goal by Boldy in the 2-0 shutout of the Calgary Flames on Sunday at Grand Casino Arena to push his career-best point streak to nine games.

“It’s hard to realize it’s happened,” said Johansson, who is only the 20th Swedish-born NHLer to reach 1,000 games. “You try and not think about it too much and not worry about it, and then all of a sudden, it’s there.

“I’ll enjoy this, for sure.”

Johansson is in the midst of his second stint with the Wild, but this run is unlike the rest.

But the Wild reacquired him in 2023, and the trade was a hit: Johansson contributed at a near point-per-game pace, his chemistry with Boldy and Joel Eriksson Ek making them a dangerous line until Eriksson Ek was sidelined by a broken leg ahead of the playoffs.

“When he has the puck, that’s when stuff happens,” Boldy said. “Even being his linemate, you get him the puck and get open. That’s the game plan.”

Johansson stuck around on a two-year contract, but with 11 goals in each of his past two seasons, the winger wasn’t as much of a factor.

That changed this season.

The Wild auditioned Liam Ohgren and Marcus Foligno in the top-six forward vacancy created by Mats Zuccarello’s injury, but it was Johansson who filled the void after coming back on a one-year, $800,000 deal.

Johansson was on the first line next to Kirill Kaprizov and Marco Rossi until Zuccarello returned two games ago, but Johansson has — once again — been a fit alongside Boldy and Eriksson Ek.

His 15 points are third on the team; same for his six goals, a total he didn’t achieve until March 13 last season. But it’s the dependability that’s been eye-catching.

Win or lose, Johansson has been a presence with his skating and smarts in the offensive zone and while the season was sputtering, that veteran leadership was notable. The longest he has gone without a point is one game.

“He’s a guy that’s helped us be able to, I think, scratch and claw and continue to be able to get where we want to be able to get to, particularly early in the year,” Hynes said. “The consistency level that he’s played with has been impressive.”

Before honoring Johansson in a pregame ceremony Tuesday ahead of facing San Jose, the Wild acknowledged Johansson by wearing T-shirts Sunday recognizing his 1,000-game feat.

“House is full,” Johansson said. “I’m gonna go home and have a beer and enjoy it.”

Johansson’s assist Sunday made him only the second player in NHL history to have an active point streak of at least nine games through his 1,000th game.

The other? Bobby Hull in 1972.

But it’s the Wild succeeding alongside him that has Johansson relishing his individual climb even more.

“It’s fun, obviously, but what makes it better is winning,” he said. “That’s always No. 1. You can enjoy it a little bit more, and everyone’s happy and smiling. So, that’s the main thing.