Columbus Blue Jackets pay emotional tribute to late Johnny Gaudreau with his widow and daughter out on the ice
Emotions ran high at Nationwide Arena on Tuesday night as the Columbus Blue Jackets paid an emotional tribute to the late Johnny Gaudreau, who died in a bicycle accident on August 29.
Johnny and his brother Matthew – who also played professional hockey – were cycling in rural New Jersey when they were hit by a drunken car on the eve of their sister’s wedding.
In their home opener, tributes to Gaudreau came in various forms as his wife Meredith stepped onto the field with their daughter Noa and son John. Blue Jackets star and Gaudreau’s boyfriend, Sean Monahan, held John as the team raised a banner with his name and jersey number 13 to the rafters.
Fans cheered, both teams tapped their sticks on the ice in the traditional hockey salute, and his family watched from the sidelines, their arms intertwined.
Before the puck dropped, the teams stood still as 13 seconds ticked off the clock, and with his left wing position vacant, the Blue Jackets sent four skaters onto the ice instead of the usual five.
The Columbus Blue Jackets paid an emotional tribute to Johnny Gaudreau on Tuesday night
The puck dropped and Monahan passed it to Florida’s Sam Bennett, both were teammates with Gaudreau in Calgary.
“I don’t want anyone to be sad,” Meredith said in a recorded message played shortly before the confrontation. “I want you all to be inspired by the life John lived. That means loving your family first, and when it’s time to drop the puck, let’s love the game John loved.”
The ’13’ tributes were everywhere. Both the Blue Jackets and Panthers took to the ice for warm-ups wearing jerseys with Gaudreau’s name and jersey number 13; those jerseys will be auctioned and raffled to benefit the John and Matthew Gaudreau Foundation. It says ’13’ on the ice behind the goals. All fans in attendance received a “13” patch, the patch Blue Jackets players will wear on their jerseys this season.
“It’s an emotional night for the hockey world,” Bennett said. “I’m glad I can be here and honor his legacy in any way I can.”
Johnny and his brother Matthew died in a bicycle accident in New Jersey on August 29
Johnny left his wife Meredith Gaudreau with their two children; daughter Noa and son John
Sean Monahan held John as the team raised a banner with Johnny’s name to the rafters
Johnny and Matthew’s parents and sister watched the tribute from the sidelines
The Panthers, like the rest of the NHL, are mourning along with the Blue Jackets. Gaudreau was loved by players, whether they were his teammates or not. Florida star Matthew Tkachuk, who missed the game due to illness, knows about Gaudreau’s affinity for purple Gatorade and bags of Skittles. So every Panthers player stepped off the bus Tuesday afternoon in Columbus with Gatorade and Skittles in their hands.
“Johnny was a big part of the hockey community, but to me he was much more than that,” Tkachuk said. “A great friend, teammate and family man. Not a day goes by without me thinking about Johnny and Matthew.”
Matthew – who was 29 and played five professional seasons in the American Hockey League, East Coast Hockey League and in Sweden – wore jersey No. 21. All 32 NHL teams wear decals on their helmets with 13, 21 and the letter G on their helmets until October 24. USA Hockey has a similar tribute to its teams at all levels this year.
Both teams wore a 13 patch on their jerseys as part of the numerous tributes to the late winger
The driver, 43-year-old Sean M. Higgins, was charged with two counts of vehicular homicide
Monahan scored early in the second period and immediately pointed to the banner honoring Gaudreau.
The driver behind the wheel, 43-year-old Sean M. Higgins of nearby Woodstown, New Jersey, was charged with two counts of homicide by motor vehicle, along with reckless driving, possession of an open container and consumption of alcohol in a motor vehicle. in September.
During a virtual hearing, a judge ordered him held for trial despite defense arguments that he was a married father and a law-abiding citizen before the crash.
“It’s something so unprecedented and something that obviously none of us wanted to experience, and none of us ever want to experience,” Blue Jackets coach Dean Evason said Monday as final preparations for the Gaudreaus’ home opener celebration were underway. is made. “But we have to.”