Johnston joined the organization in 1980, and after a three-year stint as head coach, took over as general manager. Johnston did everything in his power to position the Penguins to draft Mario Lemieux first overall in 1984.
“You needed that type of player in Mario; he was the foundation,” Johnston said in a recent interview to discuss his Penguins Hall of Fame induction.
“All of a sudden, you get the best player in the game. Not only was he one of the best, but he was great for the city. Having him, you get that once in a lifetime. To have him come in and do the job that he did, to put us in that category was absolutely phenomenal. Mario was the guy who changed the whole franchise and gave us the opportunity to win Cups.”
But Johnston’s work to form the foundation of the Penguins future didn’t stop there. In 1985, Johnston drafted Craig Simpson second overall, and then in 1987, he selected Chris Joseph fifth overall. Those two players would serve as major pieces to help the team trade for Paul Coffey on November 24, 1987. Johnston also made a September 1983 trade with Los Angeles, delivering then-little-known college forward Kevin Stevens for Anders Hakansson.
“I owe EJ a lot for doing that,” Stevens said. “EJ has always been a friend of mine. He’s such a great guy. He’s just one of those hockey guys that when you see him, you light up, you know? He’s just one of those guys. And I was just lucky he pulled the trigger and got me here to Pittsburgh, because things could have been a lot different.”
After leaving the Penguins in 1988, Johnston returned as Pittsburgh’s head coach from 1993 to 1997 and finished as the third-winningest coach in the franchise’s history (232 wins).
During his second stint behind the bench, Johnston saw tremendous on-ice success with the Penguins, ranking second in wins with 153, third in points, and first in goals-for.
Johnston remained with the Penguins organization in various roles from 1997 to 2009, serving as Assistant General Manager and Senior Advisor in Pittsburgh. To this day, EJ attends every single home game, often chatting with captain Sidney Crosby when the two cross paths in and around the locker room.
“It was great to be a part of the franchise and walk into that dressing room and see the players that we have,” said Johnston, when asked what it is like to still be regarded so highly by everyone in the organization. “To see Sid, who goes out of his way to say hello all of the time, that kind of leadership is special. I enjoy coming to the games; it’s absolutely phenomenal to sit up there and watch these guys play.”
To think of how time would’ve unfolded differently over the next 40 years if Johnston had never put the team in a position to draft Lemieux, it would not be an easy one to predict. However, one thing is certain in how Johnston formed the building blocks to make Pittsburgh a hockey destination.
“That was one of the greatest days for me, and one of the greatest days for Pittsburgh,” said Johnston on drafting Lemieux. “As it is today, it’s one of the greatest cities in the world, especially in hockey.”
More information on the Penguins Hall of Fame can be found here.