On Tuesday night at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, it was so much more than just hockey.
In the Blue Jackets’ first game on home ice of the season, the teams playing honoured Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau, who sadly passed away on August 29 of this year, and will be in the hearts of the hockey world all season long.
The tributes started with the Florida Panthers arriving to the arena carrying purple Gatorade and Skittles, two of Johnny’s favorite treats.
During practice before the game, both teams wore number 13 on their jerseys with ‘Gaudreau’ on their backs.
Many of Gaudreau’s family and friends were in attendance for the game. Before puck drop, the Blue Jackets welcomed Gaudreau’s wife Meredith and their two children, Noa and Johnny Jr., to the ice after an emotional tribute video played on the jumbotron.
With his wife and kids on the ice, the Blue Jackets raised a banner with Gaudreau’s number 13 jersey to the rafters. Noa was in her mother’s arms pointing up at her father’s name and number being raised while little Johnny was held by Sean Monahan, one of Gaudreau’s best friends and teammates. As Meredith left the ice, chants of “Johnny Hockey” erupted through the arena.
The banner raising was followed by a video message from Meredith in which she encouraged the fans and players not to be sad, but to be inspired by Gaudreau’s tragically short life.
“When it’s time to drop the puck, let’s love the game John loved,” Meredith said.
The emotional night continued right through puck drop, as the Blue Jackets started the game with only 4 men on the ice, leaving the left wing position open in tribute of their former left winger superstar. Monahan would win the opening draw and passed the puck over to where Johnny would play, and both teams paused as the first 13 seconds of the game passed as fans cheered.
Monahan would go on to score in the game and paid tribute to his friend by pointing to the Gaudreau banner that was raised before puck drop.
After the game, Monahan would tell reporters that they could feel Johnny’s presence their in building during the game.
The Calgary Flames, who had their home opener over the weekend had an emotional video in tribute for their former all-star player as the ice was lit with spotlights from where Gaudreau scored before the song ‘Go Johnny Go’ played as fans cheered, clapped, and shed tears. The Flames would win last night against the Chicago Blackhawks, with a final score of 1 to 3. If you put 1 and 3 together, you get 13.
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