Former King Jack Johnson bankrupt, estranged from parents

The Columbus Dispatch has a fascinating piece on former Kings defenseman Jack Johnson and how he has lost nearly all of his considerable earnings — apparently because of his parents’ free spending.

The story, written by Aaron Portzline, is a horrifying account of wild spending by his parents, who, Portzline writes, took out loans at exorbitant rates and borrowed money against their son’s future earnings. Johnson signed over power of attorney to his mother, Tina, after dropping his agent.

Here’s a link to the full story.

The tale is sadly similar in some ways to the family feud that enveloped Ryan Howard of the Philadelphia Phillies.