Mourning and Memory: Columbus Blue Jackets Pay Homage to Johnny Gaudreau

An Emotional Tribute to Johnny Gaudreau

The Columbus Blue Jackets’ first game at Nationwide Arena since the tragic passing of their star player, Johnny Gaudreau, was marked with a poignant video tribute and 13 seconds of silence – a nod to his uniform number. This touching homage occurred before the Blue Jackets’ impressive 3-0 preseason victory over the St. Louis Blues this Wednesday evening.

Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew’s lives were tragically cut short near their childhood home in New Jersey on August 29. The brothers were fatally hit by an alleged drunk driver while cycling on the eve of their sister Katie’s wedding. The accused driver now faces dual charges of vehicular homicide, coupled with reckless driving, open container possession, and in-vehicle alcohol consumption.

Remembering the Gaudreau Brothers

Starting with the preseason games, the Blue Jackets have committed to wearing helmet stickers bearing the name “Gaudreau” flanked by two doves and the jersey numbers of the brothers – No. 13 for Johnny and No. 21 for Matthew, his Boston College uniform number. Players also observed a 13-second moment of silence in memory of Johnny and Matthew before the commencement of Wednesday night’s preseason game in Columbus.

Sean Kuraly, a forward for Columbus, spoke emotionally about missing his teammate. “A lot of times, I’d pick John up on the way to the rink,” Kuraly said. “The drive to the rink and the time spent thinking about John, it’s a tough day when he’s not there with us.”

Columbus Blue Jackets’ Tribute Continues into Regular Season

From their first regular-season game, the Columbus players will sport a commemorative patch featuring Johnny Gaudreau’s No. 13. The traditional festivities for the home opener on October 15 will be deferred to allow the evening to be solely dedicated to honoring the Gaudreau brothers. The celebratory home opener will instead take place two nights later.

Looking Ahead: The Blue Jackets’ New Season

Last season, the Blue Jackets were among the NHL’s bottom-ranked teams. They now face the challenge of forging ahead with a new general manager, a new coach, and the significant void created by the loss of “Johnny Hockey,” both on and off the ice. Johnny Gaudreau’s jersey continues to hang in his locker in a touching gesture of remembrance.

“The guys are close,” shared new coach Dean Evason. “That includes everyone in this camp, not just those who were in Columbus. We’re seeing a very tight-knit group.” This marks the team’s second recent training camp that follows the offseason loss of a player – Goalie Matiss Kivlenieks passed away in July 2021 due to chest trauma from a stray fireworks mortar explosion at an assistant coach’s daughter’s wedding.

On Wednesday night’s game, Denton Mateychuk and Kirill Marchenko scored for Columbus, with Kuraly assisting on both. Kent Johnson added an empty-net goal in the final 43 seconds.