10E - The Michigan Daily - New Student Edition 2006

Friends on and off the ice, Sidney Crosby (right) and Jack Johnson (left) were the first and third picks of the NHL draft, respectively.

jack

sidney

he date was July 30,2005.
The setting was the
Westin Hotel in Ottawa,
Ontario.
The event was the 2005
NHL Entry Draft.
Like any sports draft,
there were prognosticators projecting which
player each team would select. And there
were the naysayers who questioned the selec-
tions made by certain teams. But it was the
uncertainty surrounding the future of an 18-
year-oldkidthat made this draft so interesting.
No one was sure who would become the next
great hockey star. People were even question-
ing whether the league would rebound from
the one-year hiatus causedby the lockout.
But amidst all of the doubt, there were two
friends who ignored all the hype and stuck
together in their quest for hockey success.
Michigan freshman Jack Johnson
and Pittsburgh Penguins rookie
Sidney Crosby first met in the fall
of 2002, when they began their sophomore
year at Shattuck-St. Mary's School, a small
private school in Fairbault, Minnesota.
The two aspiring hockey players were the
lone underclassmen to make the Shattuck
prep team. Johnson had starred on Shattuck's
bantam team the previous year, collecting 35
goals and 65 assists en route to a 100-point
season. Crosby came in as a player with
a reputation well beyond his years. Many
scouts were already anointing him the next
great hockey star.
As the youngest and most talented play-
ers on the team, Johnson and Crosby quickly
bonded on the ice and catapulted the team to
new levels of success. The dominance of the
two 16-year-olds attracted national attention
to their team and small Minnesota town.
"Sidney was so dynamic," said Michigan
assistant coach Billy Powers. "I've never seen
a sophomore forward like Crosby - ever.
And Jack asa sophomore defenseman in high
school, I've never seen anyone like him either.
Even at that time, they were exceptional. I

think people went Throu,
to Shattuck to watch Ii
those two play. The melig
attraction was that Sidney
you got to see two
of the next potential
(NHL) superstars."
Both were able to
ignore the extraordi-
nary amount of attention and lead Sh
the 2003 USA Hockey Tier I Midget
al Championship. Crosby ended th
with an unbelievable 162 points (7
90 assists), while Johnson had 42 p
goals, 27 assists), establishing himse
of the most feared defenders in prep1
The increased notoriety had noc
the chemistry of the two sophomor
stars. The bond they created tra
onto the ice and became apparent to
watching their games.
"We had a chance to go see th
tournament in Marquette becauseN
playing Northern Michigan at the tin
Michigan assistant coach Mel Pears
could tell by the way they interac
each other that they were not only
players but good friends."
Johnson amassed 91 penalty mi
21 games this season, and served no
nobody will get away with pushing
the Wolverines' freshmen-laden sqi
days as an enforcer on the ice bega
his season playing with Crosby.
"Prior to (the 2002-2003 season) I
of the smaller guys on the team;'
said. "I couldn't really check the oth
because they were usually bigger tha
He was the first time I kept an eye o
one, and because we were such close
didn't want anyone to give him a chew
Crosby and Johnson competed
each other in practice everyday. l~
junior goalie Mike Mayhew, who was
on that 2002-03 Shattuck team, saw;
Sidney go at it all the time.
"Sidney saw how tough Jack plays
forced Sidney to realize that he was

gh sep
it, old-
Crost

)arate teams and the shine oft
friends-cum-hockey-stars Jack
y remain each others' biggest


the na
Johns
supp

By Mark Giannotto I Daily Sports Writer
attuck to be playing against players who are that tough a pitch th
t Nation- at the next level," Mayhew said. "And I think the next
e season Jack realized that he is going to be playing ter was J
2 goals, against guys as skilled as Sidney." pitch tha
oints (15 the mour
If as one n and off the ice, Crosby and John- both tear
hockey. son did not appear to have much
effect on in common. Crosby is from ColeF o
e super- Harbour, Nova Scotia and was boarding at m
nsferred Shattuck-St.Mary's during the school year. la
anyone Johnson is an American, born in Indianapolis, on topoth
who lived in Fairbault, Minn. with his fam- Crosb
em at a ily at the time. Crosby is a dynamic forward Hockey
we were who would rather avoid physical play so he for Rim'
ne," said can create in open spaces. Johnson is a defen- Crosby h
on. "You seman who can put points on the board, but Retired I
ted with also serves as a physical presence in his own only play
special zone. In interviews, Crosby is very soft-spo- son durit
ken and chooses his words carefully. Johnson Mean
nutes in is straightforward and outspoken. the U.S.
)tice that But their different backgrounds only gram in
around brought them closer together. Because of 17- and
uad. His Shattuck-St. Mary's close proximity to the country,
n during Johnson house, Crosby became a frequent penaltyn
visitor. The Johnsons welcomedhim into their Even
was one home because they knew that the adjustment apart on
Johnson to a new school was tough. The two teenag- still surv
ter guys, ers created memories that are still vivid in the "It'sa
an I was. minds of the Johnsons. ways in]
)n some- "Sidney used to come over, and Mrs. John- with yot
friends I son made I-don't-know-how-many dozens of obviousl
ap shot" cookies for him," said Johnson's father, Jack touch wi
against Sr.. "But then all of a sudden, he would be on Durin
Michigan his hands and knees playing mini-stick hock- Entry D
s a senior ey with our 7-year-old Kenny. And next thing together.
Jack and you know, Sidney and Jack are on the floor Ottawa f
playing each other in mini-stick hockey." Crosb
and that Ask Crosby about his memories fromShat- Penguins
going to tuck, and he doesn't even mention hockey. His Crosby

tional favoritemoment with
Jack occurred on the
~on and baseball diamond.
orters. "Jack was a
pitcher for our high
school team;' Cros-
by said, smiling. "In
one game, the other
team's pitcher threw
hat came real close to my head. Then
pitch actually hit me. The next bat-
ack and when the kid threw another
t was really far inside, Jack charged
nd and started a huge brawl between
ms."
r Crosby and Johnson, their sopho-
tore year at Shattuck would be their
ast year playing together. Each moved
er teams after the triumphant season.
y went to the Quebec Major Junior
League, and played two seasons
ouski. During the 2004-05 season,
lad 168 points (66 goals, 102 assists).
hockey legend Wayne Gretzky is the
yer to amass more points in one sea-
ng major junior league competition.
while, Johnson went on to play for
National Team Development Pro-
Ann Arbor. On a team with the best
18-year-old hockey players in the
he led all defensemen in points and
minutes.
though Johnson and Crosby were
the ice, their off-the-ice friendship
ived.
always fun when you go separate
hockey and in life to keep in touch
ur friends;' Crosby said. "(Jack) is
y a guy that I have always stayed in
th."
g the summer of that 2005 NHL
raft, Crosby and Johnson trained
When Crosby and Johnson were in
or the draft, they roomed together.
y was the clear-cut No. 1 pick. The
s had already made it known that
was their guy. Jack's fate was less

clear.The AnaheimMighty Ducks possessed
the No. 2 pick, but they had not decided
whether they wanted to select a forward or a
defenseman.
During their training in the summer and
the night before in their hotel room, Sidney
and Jack talked about what it would be like to
go back-to-back at the top of the draft. But it
was all for naught. The Mighty Ducks opted
for forwardtBobby Ryan. The Carolina Hurri-
canes then grabbed Jack with the No. 3 pick.
"It was all dependent on what a team want-
ed - a forward or a defenseman;' Johnson
said. "We knew anything could happen, so
we weren't really worried about it."
As inthe aftermath oftheir successful
year at Shattuck-St. Mary's, Sidney
and Jack went their separate ways
after the draft. Sidney went right to the NHL,,
where he became an instant star for the Pen-
guins. Meanwhile, Jack decided to delay his
NHL career to play for Michigan. Through
21 games, Johnson had 21 points (5 goals,
16 assists), tying him for the lead in points
among CCHA defensemen.
But through all the different towns,schools
and teams one thing has remained constant
for Crosby and Johnson: their friendship.
The two talk on the phone at least once a
week and try to see each other whenever
their schedules allow it.
The success Sidney is having at the pro-
fessional level has never made Jack question
his decision to come to Michigan. Instead of
thinking about an early jump to the NHL,
Jack is just happy for his friend.
"I know that we are two different play-
ers who have developed at two different
rates, and obviously, he has developed more
quickly;" Johnson said. "And I'm in no rush
to make the next step to the NHL. We respect
each other's decisions, and I don't think it has
affected our friendship at all. It's been fun
keeping track of all he's doing."
- This article originally
ran Jan. 17, 2006.



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