Gaudreau honored by Flames, Blue Jackets with pregame tribute in Calgary

CALGARY -- Johnny Gaudreau meant so much to the Calgary Flames and Columbus Blue Jackets, it was fitting that the late forward was honored both before and after the two teams met at Scotiabank Saddledome on Tuesday.

In their only visit to Calgary this season, the Blue Jackets joined the Flames on the ice for a special pregame tribute to Gaudreau, who along with his brother Matthew, a former pro hockey player, died Aug. 29 when they were struck by an alleged drunk driver who has been charged with two counts of death by auto, while riding bicycles near their home in Salem County, New Jersey.

“There were so many emotions,” Flames captain Mikael Backlund said. “We were so excited to see the family, but also so sad. It’s such a tragedy. It’s so many mixed emotions; it’s the first time I’m dealing with it. It’s always good to have teammates that were close to Johnny, too, that we can share stories and connect with each other.”

Gaudreau was selected by Calgary in the fourth round (No. 104) of the 2011 NHL Draft and played eight seasons with the Flames before signing with the Blue Jackets as an unrestricted free agent on July 13, 2022. Gaudreau was 31 when he died. Matthew was 29.

“It’s kind of building on the legacy of a real good player for our team,” Flames coach Ryan Huska said before the game. “It’s a chance for his family to see how important they were for the city of Calgary.”

Both teams lined up at their respective blue lines and watched a video tribute highlighting Gaudreau’s time in Calgary to a rendition of “Johnny B. Goode” by Flames anthem singer George Canyon.

The Gaudreau family members were special guests at the game.

Johnny’s father Guy, mother Jane, wife Meredith and two children, along with sisters Kristen and Katie, stepped out to center-ice for a ceremonial face-off. Blue Jackets forward Sean Monahan, a good friend of Gaudreau, and Backlund, lined up for the draw with both teams surrounding the family.

“It speaks to our leadership group, [Monahan] obviously being on top of that,” Columbus coach Dean Evason said. “Just conducting himself in a professional manner and not shying away from showing his emotion and using it to move us forward. To see the family here and the outpouring of love and support of this organization, this city and this country, Canada, has been fantastic.”

Monahan played nine seasons in Calgary and eight with Gaudreau. He signed a five-year contract with the Blue Jackets on July 1, expecting to be reunited with his former Flames teammate. The Blue Jackets forward has been playing the entire season with a heavy heart.

“That meant a lot. I think a lot about him,” Backlund said of Monahan. “For him to move to Columbus to be reunited with Johnny, they were so excited to get to play with each other. For [Monahan] to have to go through that every day, it’s just heartbreaking and I think a lot about him. It was great to share that moment with him and show the support and love for the family.”

Both teams wore Gaudreau’s No. 13 during the warmup, which was fitting considering the number of similar jerseys in the crowd. Defenseman Rasmus Andersson scored the opening goal of Calgary’s 3-0 win at 10:14 of the second period and pointed up to the Gaudreau family in attendance.

“I feel like our team along with their team are going through similar things,” Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski said before the game. “Just having the Gaudreau family here tonight in attendance for this big game, I think it’s really special and I think Calgary is going to do a great job with it. It’s going to be emotional, but I think it’s going to be a great night.”

Andersson and Flames forward Blake Coleman consoled Guy Gaudreau, who became emotional after dropping the puck. A number of players came over to greet the family before they walked off the ice to a standing ovation.

Those emotions continued after the game, when the Flames announced Johnny Gaudreau as the first star. Guy was then led onto the ice by Andersson and Backlund, who embraced him while waving to the crowd.

It was the culmination of the past few days for Guy, a former college player and coach, who had taken the ice with the Flames at practice Monday and was at the optional morning skate Tuesday, when he spent time on the bench talking with Calgary legend Lanny McDonald.

“We’ve been fortunate to have Guy around with us for the last two days,” Huska said. “He’s made me laugh more than typically our trainers and our coaching staff does. He spent a lot of time in our dressing room today and I think his message to our players has been a real good one.”

Gaudreau will forever be remembered in Calgary.

This summer, hundreds of sticks, jerseys and purple Gatorades were left on the Scotiabank Saddledome steps in memory of Gaudreau after the tragedy. The 229 sticks collected at the impromptu memorial were made into benches and donated to local arenas. The Gaudreau family was in attendance when the first bench was donated Monday.

“You go out there and honor him and look back at all the memories that he got to share here in Calgary,” Flames defenseman MacKenzie Weegar said. “Just having his dad around here was therapeutic for the guys and I think himself. At the same time, we celebrate his life, and I think we make it a special night for him and his family and the guys that really knew him well.”

For those who knew Gaudreau best, it was not easy to put his memory aside and focus on a game both teams were desperate to win.

As time ran down towards the end of the game, and the Flames on their way to victory, fans began chanting, “Johnny Hockey.”

“I was looking around and kind of enjoying the moment when the family is here and they get to hear it, how loved he was in this city,” Andersson said. “There’s not a lot of players throughout history that got that, and I got goosebumps. It was a great night overall to see them all here, and for them to see how much he was loved in this city.”