San Jose Sharks Executive Vice President and General Manager Doug Wilson and Head Coach Todd McLellan announced today that Jim Johnson has been named as an assistant coach.

A 14-year NHL defenseman, Johnson, 49, most recently was an assistant coach on Dale Hunter’s staff with the Washington Capitals. He has also served as an assistant coach with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2010 and interim head coach of the Phoenix Coyotes in 1999-2000.

Prior to arriving in Washington in 2011, Johnson was coaching for Switzerland’s HC Lugano. While working with the Tampa Bay Lightning organization, he also served as the head coach for the American Hockey League’s Norfolk Admirals during the 2009-10 season and as development coach for the Lightning in 2008-09.

Johnson also spent three seasons (2000-02) as an assistant coach with the U.S. National Junior Team.

A stay-at-home defenseman in his playing days, Johnson had a standout career at the University of Minnesota-Duluth and was signed by the Pittsburgh Penguins as a free agent in 1985. Johnson played 829 NHL games with Pittsburgh, Minnesota/Dallas, Washington and Phoenix, posting 195 points (29 goals, 166 assists) and 1197 penalty minutes before suffering a career-ending concussion in 1997.

Johnson also represented the United States at four World Championships (1985, 1986, 1987 and 1990) and one Canada Cup (1992).

The native of New Hope, Minnesota is also a co-founder/partner in flexxCOACH along with several former NHL players and coaches. flexxCOACH delivers online coaching education programs for youth sports coaches.