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Johnny Gaudreau and Buddy Robinson: A Gloucester Catholic reunion in NHL

The former linemates at Gloucester Catholic High School played on the same line again, briefly, Tuesday night for the Calgary Flames.

Calgary's Buddy Robinson (right), a South Jersey native, and St. Louis' Jay Bouwmeester battled by the boards during the first period Tuesday.
Calgary's Buddy Robinson (right), a South Jersey native, and St. Louis' Jay Bouwmeester battled by the boards during the first period Tuesday.Read moreJeff McIntosh / AP

Buddy Robinson and Johnny Gaudreau used to be linemates when they played at Gloucester Catholic High. Tuesday, more than a decade later, they were finally reunited.

Robinson and Gaudreau were together on a Calgary line late in the host Flames’ 5-4 shootout loss to the defending Stanley Cup-champion St. Louis Blues.

“It’s great to see him get a chance,” Gaudreau, who had two assists in the game, told reporters about his long-time friend.

It was Gaudreau who persuaded Robinson, then a free agent, to sign with the Flames in 2018.

At the time he was promoted from Stockton, Robinson had 16 goals for the Flames’ AHL affiliate. He had also played in the Winnipeg, San Jose, and Ottawa systems, and had brief NHL stints with the Senators in 2015-16 and 2016-17, collecting a goal and an assist in a combined seven games.

Robinson, 28, is a 6-foot-6, 230-pound right winger who towers over Gaudreau, who is generously listed at 5-9 and 165 pounds and is regarded as one of the league’s best left wingers.

Against the Blues on Tuesday, Robinson had two shots and two hits while playing 15 minutes, 31 seconds. He also sent Gaudreau away on a breakaway, but he was stopped.

“We got a couple chances. We laughed about that one that he almost had on the breakaway,” Robinson, who had Gaudreau in his wedding party in 2017, said after Tuesday’s game. “It’s a dream to play with a close friend that you grew up with, but now the first one is out of the way and it’s time to go back to work here. We have Edmonton [on Wednesday], and I hear it’s a pretty big rival. If I’m in the lineup, I’ll be ready to go and we’ll have some fun with it.”

Robinson, a Bellmawr native, did play Wednesday and nearly scored early in the third period after taking a great feed from Gaudreau. He had two shots, two hits, and two blocked shots in the Flames’ 4-3 shootout win in Edmonton.

Robinson said there is “no secret message to my game. Just get pucks in and get hard on the forecheck, and you get guys like John and Monny [Sean Monahan] around the net; they’re going to make some special plays. … Getting them the puck is priority No. 1.”

He reflected on his years at Gloucester Catholic.

“In high school, I used to be a skilled guy, so there wasn’t much hitting,” he said, smiling, “and then John’s dad [Guy, his coach] beat that out of me once I turned 6-6.”