Johnny Gaudreau’s Columbus teammates got a couple of choices for learn how to deal with their feelings through the Blue Jackets’ dwelling opener.

If you wish to cry, cry.

If you wish to chortle, chortle.

The one guidelines — play the sport the way in which “Johnny Hockey” would and with him in thoughts.

Feelings ran excessive in Columbus on Tuesday evening, when the Blue Jackets paid tribute to their star and his late brother Matthew at their dwelling opener in opposition to the Florida Panthers. Among the many highlights: A banner was raised to the rafters in Gaudreau’s reminiscence as each groups stick-tapped the ice within the conventional hockey salute and his household regarded on, arms intertwined.

At sport time, the teams stood still as 13 seconds — Johnny Gaudreau’s quantity — ran off the clock and along with his left-wing place vacant, the Blue Jackets sending 4 skaters onto the ice as a substitute of the standard 5. The puck dropped, and the Blue Jackets’ Sean Monahan handed it to Florida’s Sam Bennett.

Monahan and Bennett had been teammates with Johnny Gaudreau in Calgary. It couldn’t have been extra becoming.

“I don’t need anybody to be unhappy,” Meredith Gaudreau, Johnny’s spouse, stated in a recorded message performed shortly earlier than face-off. “I need you all to be impressed by the life that John lived. Meaning love your loved ones at the start, and when it’s time to drop the puck let’s love the sport that John cherished.”

Johnny Gaudreau, the Blue Jackets’ star who would have been coming into his third season with the membership and eleventh NHL season general, and his brother Matthew Gaudreau had been killed on Aug. 29 when police stated they had been struck by a suspected drunken driver whereas they had been using their bicycles on a rural street in New Jersey on the eve of their sister Katie’s marriage ceremony.

“It’s such an unprecedented factor and one thing that clearly none of us wished to undergo, and no person ever needs to undergo it,” Blue Jackets coach Dean Evason stated. “However we’ve got to.”

The 31-year-old Gaudreau wore jersey No. 13 for the Blue Jackets. Matthew Gaudreau — who was 29 and performed 5 professional seasons within the American Hockey League, East Coast Hockey League and in Sweden — wore jersey No. 21. All 32 NHL groups are sporting decals on their helmets with 13, 21 and the letter G on their helmets by way of Oct. 24. USA Hockey has an identical tribute for its groups in any respect ranges this yr.

On Tuesday, the “13” tributes had been all over the place. Each the Blue Jackets and Panthers took the ice for warmups sporting jerseys bearing the identify Gaudreau and jersey quantity 13; these sweaters might be auctioned and raffled off to profit the John and Matthew Gaudreau Basis. There’s “13” on the ice behind the targets. All followers in attendance acquired a “13” patch, those Blue Jackets gamers might be sporting on their jerseys this season.

“It’s an emotional evening for the hockey world,” Bennett stated. “I’m glad I might be right here and honor his legacy in any method.”

Gaudreau was completely beloved by gamers, whether or not they ever had been his teammate or not. Florida star Matthew Tkachuk, who missed the sport with sickness, is aware of of Gaudreau’s affinity for purple Gatorade and luggage of Skittles. So, each Panthers participant bought off the bus in Columbus on Tuesday with Gatorade and Skittles of their palms.

“Johnny was an enormous a part of the hockey neighborhood however to me he was rather more than that,” Tkachuk stated. “A fantastic pal, teammate and household man.”

The Blue Jackets arrange a duplicate of Gaudreau’s locker within the enviornment for followers to go to. Many followers did, studying a few of the indicators that had been left in entrance of Nationwide Area within the hours and days after the accident that claimed the lives of the brothers. They hugged and took photographs, wiped away tears and reminisced.

Kristen and Katie, the sisters of Johnny and Matthew, visited the memorial through the sport. Kristen donned a No. 13 Columbus jersey within the dwelling blue, whereas Katie wore a leather-based jacket along with her brothers’ numbers of 21 and 13 on the entrance and stacked throughout the again, together with “Gaudreau.”

Johnny Gaudreau — all of 5-foot-9 and 165 kilos — was a star at Boston Faculty earlier than making it to the NHL, his debut coming in Calgary’s finale for the 2013-14 season. His first objective got here on his first shot in his first sport, and his star solely stored shining brighter from there.

The participant who fished the puck out of the online after Gaudreau’s first objective was Monahan.

“He had an influence on so many individuals,” Monahan stated.

Monahan by no means aspired to be a donkey. Going ahead, the Blue Jackets will clamor to be one.

Johnny Gaudreau used that time period — “donkey” — endearingly round associates and teammates. The Blue Jackets had a celebration for a couple of decade the place the participant of the sport will get to put on a Civil Warfare-style kepi hat, the recipient chosen by the earlier one. The kepi is retired. The participant of the sport now will get a donkey hat. Monahan was the primary to obtain it.

“I’m actually pleased that we’ve sort of switched it up,” Blue Jackets defenseman Erik Gudbranson stated. “I feel it’s becoming for us. It was an ideal thought. And, you recognize, we want the little man was nonetheless right here calling us that, However Monny is the best man to get that the primary time, for certain.”

The tributes aren’t over. They’ll maintain going for years to come back. Man Gaudreau, the late brothers’ father and a longtime coach, was on the ice with the Blue Jackets for apply in Columbus on Monday and was again for morning skate on Tuesday. And the banner bearing Johnny’s identify went up, followers chanted “Johnny Hockey” as his household couldn’t assist however smile.

There was a sport afterward. It appeared secondary.

“The primary half,” Panthers coach Paul Maurice stated, “is clearly crucial a part of the occasion tonight.”

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AP Sports activities Author Mitch Stacy and Related Press Author Nicole Kraft in Columbus, Ohio, contributed.

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