I can’t believe I’m writing this before 7 AM on a Friday in August, but the Columbus Blue Jackets and NHL have confirmed awful, terrible, heartbreaking news. Johnny Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew, were near their home town in New Jersey.
Gaudreau, who would have turned 32 in two weeks, was originally a fourth-round pick by the Calgary Flames in the 2011 NHL Draft. He was an incredible star at Boston College, picking up the nickname “Johnny Hockey” before turning pro.
He became a superstar i🍌n Calgary before signing a blockbuster deal two years ago in Columbus. He scored 243 goals in 763 career regular-season games. And Gaudreau almost always had a smile on his face while 𓆏playing the game he loved.
N💛HL Commissioner Gary Bettma💃n released the following statement:
🌄“The National Hockey League family is shocked and saddened by the tragic passing of Columbus Blue Jackets forward Johnny Gaudreau and his brother M👍atthew. While Johnny’s infectious spirit for the game and show-stopping skills on the ice earned him the nickname ‘Johnny Hockey,’ he was more than just a dazzling hockey player; he was a doting father and beloved husband, son, brother and teammate who endeared himself to every person fortunate enough to have crossed his path.
“Gaudreau often told the story of how his father taught him to skate as a child in his home state of New Jersey and he carried that same youthful passion throughout his 11 NHL seasons. A skilled playmaker, Gaudreau participated in the NHL All-Star Game seven times where he was always a fan favorite, particularly while showcasing his talents in the various skills competitions for which he was so well suited.
“He will be remembered fondly in Calgary, where he played his first nine seasons with the Flames from 2013-14 to 2021-22, emerging as one of our League’s brightest young stars while compiling the franchise’s fifth-highest career points total. His loss also will be felt profoundly in Columbus, the city in which he chose to settle his family and where he was one of the respected, veteran leaders of a club building toward the playoffs. And both Johnny and Matthew will be mourned at Boston College, where they were teammates the year Johnny won the Hobey Baker Award in 2013-14, a🀅nd at Gloucester Catholic High School in New Jersey, where both played and where Matthew was the head hockey coach following his own five-year pro playing career.
“We send our most heart-felt condolences to his wife Meredith; their ༺children, Noa and Johnny; his parents, Guy and Jane; and sisters Kristen and Katie. And we grieve alongside his teammates, members of the Blue Jackets and Flames organizations, his many friends in hockey and countless fans around the world for whom he created indelible memories o🍸n and off the ice.”
