Columbus Blue Jackets’ head coach Rick Bowness caught the full attention of the hockey world at the end of last season when he went on a tirade about his players not caring about losing enough. While that has been since addressed with the team, there were some other interesting things the coach said that stood out.
Both Bowness and GM Don Waddell said at exit interviews that forward Kent Johnson lost weight going into last season. That in their mind was part of the reason the forward had a difficult season.
But there is more to this story, specifically as to why the weight loss happened.
Johnson sat down with the Hockey Writers at training camp for an exclusive interview about the difficulty of last season, his view of the weight loss situation and how that led to him playing parts of last season less than 100%. He also addressed his readiness for this season as he’s gained the weight back and added muscle.
One thing is clear coming out of this interview. Johnson has a deep respect for Bowness. That came to the forefront when he explained how their conversations have gone.
Honest Bones
Bowness also asked “Where is that player?” when referring to Johnson and his 20-goal season from 2024-25. If the Blue Jackets are going to improve this season, the talented winger must be at the forefront of that improvement.
“I don’t think he asked me exactly that. I could be wrong,” Johnson said. “All our conversations last year with Bones were awesome for me. Obviously, it was hard to hear sometimes. The truth hurts when it’s not what you want (to hear.) But Bones was always unreal. He just spoke the truth and really helped me point things out, specific things.”
Johnson has had several coaches already in his young NHL career. Yet, it was Bowness who did something for him that other coaches didn’t do.
“It was nice. I feel like it was the first time someone just said ‘We need you to create more.’ And I was like ‘Yeah, no kidding.’ Instead of other stuff or excuses or other focus areas. It was great always. It sucked at the time, but there was a great deal of respect. It was never a question of whether it could work with him. It was just, I need to be better for him and for this team.”
“It was really frustrating and tough missing the playoffs knowing I was nowhere near my best,” Johnson continued. “I was doing what I could at the time. It just wasn’t good enough. You learn from it and get better.”
Losing Weight
This was the first time being able to ask Johnson about the weight loss brought up by Waddell and Bowness. The winger acknowledged there was some weight loss.
Johnson then admitted he was injured during offseason training last season. From there, it was trying to manage his situation.
“I came back from the Worlds last summer with a shorter summer than the year before, so I came in a bit lighter,” Johnson said. “The first weigh-in wasn’t a good one. I was a little lighter and gained some weight back. Part of that was getting hurt training about a month before camp and not being able to push the weights as hard.”
Kent Johnson said an offseason training injury last year was part of the reason for his weight loss. (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)
While Johnson was able to manage the injury, it did linger most of last season.
“I was battling some lingering stuff, nothing bad enough not to play” Johnson said. “I couldn’t push as hard the weeks leading in. I thought I was going to be fine. Looking back, it was harder. Body-wise, I just feel a lot better now, more ready to go. It wasn’t all 75 games, we’d get a little better, get a little worse.”
Offseason Approach
Johnson made some adjustments to his training routine over the summer. That came with a change in what his main focus was.
The result? He’s coming into the 2026-27 season as healthy as he’s felt in a long time.
“The last two summers I was focusing more on speed,” Johnson said. “This summer, I went back more to strength, like when I was younger. I feel like I found better ways to do it. It took me some time to really figure out my training. I really liked it this summer. We’ll keep doing something similar.”
“About a month, month and a half after (this past season), I started to feel 100% healthy again. I kind of almost forgot that feeling. There’s a little more pop in my stride, better balance, stronger in the gym. I’m getting better results from the work than I was during the season. A lot’s changed. Super grateful for the journey.”
Lessons Learned
Johnson learned a lot about himself throughout the ordeal. This experience helped him to realize that he has a lot more to give. He plans on doing just that.
“Getting hurt training the summer before, that shouldn’t have happened,” Johnson said. “I was really pissed off at myself. It’s more just learning and working hard. Going through last year, you find another gear of work ethic. You think you’re working hard, then you learn you needed to work harder. I feel like I still do. You can always work harder.”
Last year, Johnson came in lighter, spent most of the season knowing he wasn’t close to his best and heard the truth from Bowness. This camp, he sounds like a different player.
Johnson is stronger. He has more pop in his stride. He’s ready to take the next step. It’s one of the most important steps in his career not only for his game, but for where the team is going.
Johnson put in the work. Now it’s up to him to get the results he’s looking for.
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