The weeks since the Gaudreaus’ passing on Aug. 29 has been filled with emotional moments – from tearful memorial services and vigils held in the days after to smiles and laughs when players remembered their favorite Gaudreau stories, and everything in between – but the opener provided a chance for everyone to come together again and both celebrate the Gaudreaus and grieve them.
The Blue Jackets were delighted the past two days when the Gaudreau's father, Guy, joined them on the ice for practice Monday and morning skate Tuesday, and the entire Gaudreau family traveled to Columbus for Tuesday night’s ceremony.
“It was obviously not a game full but a day full, a couple days now full of a lot of emotions, kind of an emotional roller coaster,” Cole Sillinger said. “It’s tough to choose one thing (that stands out), but it was certainly nice to see Meredith and the whole Gaudreau clan and Guy and Jane. It was just nice to see them and spend time with them.”
In a sport that can seem like one giant family at times, everyone came together on Tuesday night to honor the Gaudreaus’ memory in a fitting fashion. The Blue Jackets left it all on the line on an emotional day, and the memory of Johnny will remain with the team throughout the days, weeks and months ahead.
“First and foremost, we want to send our love and support to the Gaudreau family,” van Riemsdyk said. “We want to carry on Johnny’s memory in a proud way. Just the joy that he had playing hockey was always so apparent from when he was a kid coming up through juniors and college and playing professionally all these years. He was still a rink rat from all the things I heard about him.
“We want to make sure we channel that and realize how lucky we are to be able to do what we love with some good friends and good teammates and really honor that memory. You could tell he loved living out his dream.”
Added Sillinger: "That's been our whole mind-set for quite a while now, is, 'What would Johnny do?' We just want to win hockey games and play for his teamamates and his brothers, and that's what we did tonight. Johnny is one of our brothers."