Gaudreau focusing on new home with Blue Jackets, arrival of first child

COLUMBUS -- Johnny Gaudreau woke up Wednesday in a new house in a new city, about to join a new team with his wife about to deliver their first child at any time. The moving vans hadn't arrived yet. The nursery wasn't ready.

Gaudreau needed navigation to make the 10-minute drive to Nationwide Arena, where the Columbus Blue Jackets had fitness testing Wednesday and will hold their first practice of training camp Thursday.
The 29-year-old forward is going through a lot of life changes all at once after signing a seven-year, $68.25 million contract ($9.75 million average annual value) with the Blue Jackets on July 13, and he's embracing the uncertainty right down to whether the baby is a boy or a girl. The Gaudreaus are waiting to find out.
"It's been a whirlwind, for sure," Gaudreau told NHL.com on Wednesday. "I mean, I thought it was crazy in the summertime when I finally signed in Columbus and came out here for a day, but this past week's been pretty hectic.
"Trying to find time to skate and work out, and then come home to an empty house. Wife's, like, ready to pop, and nothing in our house. No baby stuff. It's all on its way. It's still not here.
"It's getting hectic, but it's supposed to be here in the next few days. I'll be at training camp, and then I'll come home and build a ton of baby [stuff]. It'll be a fun couple weeks here."
Gaudreau shocked the hockey world when he signed with the Blue Jackets.
He had played his entire NHL career with the Calgary Flames, who selected him in the fourth round (No. 104) of the 2011 NHL Draft.
He had set career highs in goals (40), assists (75) and points (115) last season, tying for second in the League in scoring and finishing fourth for the Hart Trophy, which goes to the League's most valuable player as voted by the Professional Hockey Writers Association.
And he had chosen a team other star free agents had chosen to leave in the past.

The Flames lost to the Edmonton Oilers in the Western Conference Second Round last season. The Blue Jackets didn't make the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the second straight season.
Many Columbus players tell a similar story.
"I was home when somebody texted me, 'You guys got a hell of a player,'" forward Jakub Voracek said. "Then I was kind of thinking about it. Who was out there from free agency? I didn't think obviously Johnny would sign in Columbus, so I looked it up and saw that it was great news.
"I was pleasantly surprised, and I'm sure he knew what he was doing. He's going to enjoy every moment of it over here, and I'm glad that the Blue Jackets fans get the chance to watch something special like Johnny Gaudreau."
The city is abuzz.
"A lot of questions from people," said forward Jack Roslovic, who grew up in Columbus. "Everyone seems to know of this Johnny Gaudreau guy who's coming in. Is he the real deal? People seem to be excited and, I'd say, intrigued as well."
Gaudreau had his own reasons, personal and professional.
He and his wife, Meredith, grew up in the Philadelphia area -- he on the New Jersey side of the Delaware River, she on the Pennsylvania side -- and they have an offseason home in Avalon, New Jersey, on the Jersey Shore.
Each set of soon-to-be grandparents is an hour away by plane or 6 ½ hours away by car. They're standing by for the call and will be able to come to Columbus easily after the baby is born.
"They're loving this," Gaudreau said. "They're super excited."
Meredith was a newborn intensive care nurse in Philadelphia. Gaudreau said when she moved to Calgary, she had to go through a nine-month process to work in Canada. She started the process, but then it was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. It will be easier for her to go back to work in Columbus, if and when she chooses to.
"We're going to give her some time with the kid and see how that goes," Gaudreau said. "But I know she really loved her job, and I'm sure she'll want to get back into it eventually."
Gaudreau had enjoyed playing in Columbus and heard good things about it, and the Blue Jackets had up-and-coming talent, like forward Kent Johnson, the No. 5 pick of the 2021 NHL Draft, who grew up a Gaudreau fan and gave up No. 13 for his idol.
It appears Gaudreau will open camp on the left wing with center Boone Jenner and right wing Patrik Laine. Gaudreau said it reminds him of playing with center Elias Lindholm and right wing Matthew Tkachuk last season.
"Tkachuk obviously is a skilled player, smart player, like Laine, and then Elias Lindholm, a defensive, smart, two-way player that you really rely on in hard games, I think that's kind of what Boone is as well," Gaudreau. "If that's the line, I think we can create some chemistry and have a lot of success."
There will be a transition period at home and at the rink.
The Gaudreaus drove to Columbus last Wednesday. Gaudreau has skated with his new teammates only three or four times in informal practices, and it remains to be seen how many preseason games he will play.
Meredith might be induced next Thursday if the baby doesn't come first.
"I mean, any day it could happen, but we might just get induced so I can spend some time with the kid before the season starts," Gaudreau said. "If she goes a week or two past her due date, then it's right into the season, and then you never know how long you're going to be at home, on the road."
But this is a long-term commitment. As he watches his own kid grow in Columbus, Gaudreau will help the Blue Jackets' kids grow here too.
"Hopefully I can help some of these younger guys on the ice, off the ice," Gaudreau said. "I had a lot of help when I was younger, and it really helped me develop my game on the ice. I'm going to try to take that role a little bit more and then obviously, with my on-ice play, try to help this team win games."