P.O Joseph and Boko Imama were in the car this summer heading to Joseph's grandmother's house when Imama got a call from his agent about potential contracts on the table to sign for this season.
Imama had a few options to consider, including from Pittsburgh. And so Joseph, despite not being re-signed by the Penguins in the summer, did his best to sell Imama on Pittsburgh.
"I mean, I knew everything about Pittsburgh," Joseph told me after the Penguins' practice on Tuesday in San Jose. "Just jow classy this place is, either in the American League or in the NHL, and to see the people around the team and little details that make this place home and make this place elite in the league. I don't think it took him a long time to make that decision and to join us here."
Imama said that Joseph stressed the "class" surrounding the organization.
"With the help from P.O, I just knew," Imama said. "I knew it was a great fit. And so far, so good. I can't really complain, whether I'm in Wilkes or up here, it's been a great experience."
Imama and Joseph have been close for some time. Imama played junior hockey with the Saint John Sea Dogs in the QMJHL, where he was teammates with P.O's older brother Mathieu Joseph. Imama and Mathieu became close, and so P.O naturally became friends with Imama too.
"Actually, I'm friends with his brother Matty. He's lucky to be friends with me now," Imama quipped about P.O. "Obviously, Montreal, is such a big town, but it's also a small town, if you're into hockey. And that's how we kind of connected through trainings and all that. He's like my brother now, for sure."
Joseph got a kick out of Imama's characterization of their friendship -- but he didn't disagree. He's lucky to be friends -- and now teammates -- with Imama.
"My brother talked to me about him, like, the second he got (to Saint John)," Joseph recalled. "And when we first met, I just instantly knew that he was going to be my older brother. To see him every week during the summertime is great. Being able to play with him now, it's phenomenal. He's my older brother."
THE ASYLUM
Joseph earns assist on Imama signing
P.O Joseph and Boko Imama were in the car this summer heading to Joseph's grandmother's house when Imama got a call from his agent about potential contracts on the table to sign for this season.
Imama had a few options to consider, including from Pittsburgh. And so Joseph, despite not being re-signed by the Penguins in the summer, did his best to sell Imama on Pittsburgh.
"I mean, I knew everything about Pittsburgh," Joseph told me after the Penguins' practice on Tuesday in San Jose. "Just jow classy this place is, either in the American League or in the NHL, and to see the people around the team and little details that make this place home and make this place elite in the league. I don't think it took him a long time to make that decision and to join us here."
Imama said that Joseph stressed the "class" surrounding the organization.
"With the help from P.O, I just knew," Imama said. "I knew it was a great fit. And so far, so good. I can't really complain, whether I'm in Wilkes or up here, it's been a great experience."
Imama and Joseph have been close for some time. Imama played junior hockey with the Saint John Sea Dogs in the QMJHL, where he was teammates with P.O's older brother Mathieu Joseph. Imama and Mathieu became close, and so P.O naturally became friends with Imama too.
"Actually, I'm friends with his brother Matty. He's lucky to be friends with me now," Imama quipped about P.O. "Obviously, Montreal, is such a big town, but it's also a small town, if you're into hockey. And that's how we kind of connected through trainings and all that. He's like my brother now, for sure."
Joseph got a kick out of Imama's characterization of their friendship -- but he didn't disagree. He's lucky to be friends -- and now teammates -- with Imama.
"My brother talked to me about him, like, the second he got (to Saint John)," Joseph recalled. "And when we first met, I just instantly knew that he was going to be my older brother. To see him every week during the summertime is great. Being able to play with him now, it's phenomenal. He's my older brother."
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