Crosby, Johnson were inseparable 'idiot 15-year-olds'

One of a multitude of intriguing storylines from virtually every playoff series, each and every spring, is finding players on the different teams who have friendships away from the rink. Maybe they were former teammates or were drafted together or grew up together.

The Columbus Dispatch shares some smile-worthy tales about Blue Jackets defenseman Jack Johnson and Pittsburgh Penguins superstar Sidney Crosby, who were 10th-graders together at Shattuck-St. Mary’s before eventually being drafted a few spots apart in 2005.

“We were idiot 15-year-olds, the only two 10th-graders on a team that was predominantly seniors,” Johnson said. “We had all of our classes together, too, so we just hit it off right away. We were inseparable. We know each other’s families really well, because in the summer, I’d go up and stay with him and hang out, work out and skate together.”

Great baseball story in the article you should check out, with this quote from Johnson as a tease:

“This pitcher was chirping us from the mound. He was kind of a big mouth,” Johnson said. “And he’d thrown high and tight at both of us. I told Sid in the dugout that next time I was up, I was going to get hit by a pitch so I could go to the mound. I’d just had enough.”

Source: Aaron Portzline, Columbus Dispatch