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Johnny Gaudreau Honored in 1st Blue Jackets Home Game Since Deaths
Matthew and Johnny Gaudreau. Richard T Gagnon/Getty Photos
The Columbus Blue Jackets paid an emotional tribute to Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau within the crew’s first common season dwelling recreation because the brothers have been killed.
The tribute started with a video montage of Johnny’s profession and life. The clip featured interview snippets of Johnny sharing what hockey meant to him.
“Rising up my dad had me on the ice, and I believe I used to be two or three days outdated,” Johnny mentioned of how he received his begin skating. “He put me proper within the skates as quickly as he may and he put my youthful brother in skates as quickly as he may as nicely. We’ve got sort of been a hockey household ever since.”
The video confirmed highlights of Johnny all through his profession with the Calgary Flames and the Blue Jackets. Johnny gushed about how he loved the crew’s “shut knit” nature and the way he grateful he was to hitch the group as a free agent.
Richard T Gagnon/Getty Photos Meredith Gaudreau is feeling assist from the Columbus Blue Jackets and Calgary Flames whereas mourning the deaths of her late husband, Johnny Gaudreau, and his brother Matthew Gaudreau. “I wish to suppose that these two cities doing this for John on our marriage ceremony anniversary is additional particular,” she wrote by way of her […]
“Change is difficult typically however when you’ve acquainted faces it makes it a lot simpler,” he mentioned. “You wish to encompass your self with individuals who make you higher not solely on the ice however off the ice and that’s one thing I attempted to do all my life.”
Within the last moments of the video, Johnny shared that he wished his legacy to not be nearly his profession milestones however about his household as nicely.
“Rising up you look again at your childhood and also you see that is what I used to be meant to do,” he mirrored. “I believe when it’s all set and finished I wish to be remembered as a man who simply wished to be across the rink and round his buddies round his household. I may go on and on however being a hockey man I suppose.”
After the video, Johnny’s mother and father and sister took the ice with the Blue Jackets and the Florida Panthers. Johnny’s spouse, Meredith Gaudreau, additionally joined the crew together with her and Johnny’s two kids: daughter Noa, 2, and son Johnny, 7 months. Teammate and shut pal, Sean Monahan, stood beside Meredith and held Johnny Jr. The Blue Jackets additionally hung up a pennant with Johnny’s title and quantity within the area. After the emotional second, followers chanted “Johnny Hockey” within the late participant’s honor.
Johnny, 31, and Matthew, 29, have been killed by a suspected drunk driver whereas driving their bicycles in Oldmans Township, New Jersey on August 29.
Sean M. Higgins, the person charged with two counts of vehicular murder within the deaths, stays in jail. He faces up 20 years in jail if convicted.
Johnny signed a seven-year contract with the Blue Jackets in July 2022 after spending the primary 9 years of his NHL profession with the Calgary Flames.
Throughout her emotional eulogy at Johnny’s memorial service in September, Meredith talked at size in regards to the couple’s love for the town of Columbus.
“You so shortly grew to become dwelling and have become our household,” Meredith mentioned. “The recollections we made in Columbus as a rising household are the perfect years of my life.”
Throughout her speech on the funeral, Meredith revealed she is pregnant with the couple’s third child.
“To Columbus and our Blue Jackets household, I can’t describe how shattered I’m that I don’t get extra time in your superb metropolis with John,” Meredith continued. “Most underrated metropolis. I’m so glad we received to study the hidden gem that’s Columbus, Ohio collectively.”
The Columbus Blue Jackets’ first dwelling recreation of the 2024-25 season was an emotional one because the group honored left wing Johnny Gaudreau, who was killed in an accident in the course of the offseason. The crew shared a video tribute to their late teammate on the Nationwide Area scoreboard earlier than the sport, with followers and gamers observing […]
Since Johnny’s demise, his former Blue Jackets teammates and coaches have proven up for his household in a giant method. Earlier this months, dozens of his buddies and their companions confirmed as much as daughter Noa’s birthday. Previous to Tuesday’s recreation towards the Florida Panthers, Johnny and Matthew’s father Man Gaudreau skated on the ice with the crew.
Matthew, who coached minor league hockey after a taking part in profession along with his brother at Boston Faculty, was survived by his spouse Madeline Gaudreau. Shortly after Matthew’s demise, Madeline revealed she was pregnant with the couple’s first child.
“Matt will encompass his son for the remainder of his life,” Madeline mentioned of their son, who shall be named Tripp, throughout her eulogy.
She added, “I’m so grateful God gave us a toddler, a bit Matty, to run round for all times, to hold on his legacy. Tripp will understand how a lot his father liked him, and I promise to do all of the issues with him we talked about.”
