Remembering Johnny Gaudreau

At first, the hockey world didn’t believe the news. Or they didn’t want to. There was a report circulating on Thursday, August 29th but it was from an unverified source, one that could easily be discredited. 

Then the news broke on Friday morning, August 30th. Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew were murdered by a drunk driver. 

Both Johnny and Matthew were more than hockey players. They were family men first and always greeted the fans and hockey community with kindness. Johnny’s story is one fans could always point to and admire and they will for years to come. It’s for good reason that even casual fans could remember “Johnny Hockey” beyond just a catchy nickname.

Gaudreau’s Upbringing

The brothers were born and raised in Salem, New Jersey, a South Jersey suburban town just under an hour away from Philadelphia. They played in the youth league and despite their small stature, the two shined on the ice. 

Matthew was the fighter who spent most of his career in the amateur leagues just hoping to get his shot at the NHL. Johnny was the star and it defined his early career. He was always one of the smallest on the ice (he weighed 170 pounds on a good day) but his talent overcame that. He went from South Jersey hockey prodigy to Boston College standout to top prospect in the Calgary Flames system expected to turn their franchise around.  

Gaudreau, and his brother, grew up in a Philadelphia suburb and the citizens of the area share that similar Philly spirit. Like Rocky, there’s this mentality that the smaller blue-collar worker fights all the odds and obstacles and makes it to the top through effort and hard work. Gaudreau was that in real life. He was a smaller hockey player who made his way to the top.

When Gaudreau Became “Johnny Hockey”

Calgary has a reputation for being a tough place to play. The winters in Alberta are cold, the fans are bitter, the losing is constant, and the franchise is poorly run. The Calgary Flames are a team that struggled to attract free agents and players on the team often wait for their chance to leave in free agency.

The Flames hoped to build a contender from the ground up and it started with Gaudreau. He made his debut in 2014, a decade since the team last appeared in the Stanley Cup Final and 25 years since the team's only Cup title.  

Paired with Matthew Tkachuk, a star who had a contrasting style to Gaudreau as a bigger-bodied forward, and a strong defense, the Flames started building something special. They had a core to compete in the Western Conference. 

Gaudreau was dominant with the Flames, scoring 210 goals and 399 assists in eight seasons with the team. He was the speed skater who darted around the opposition and created highlight goal after highlight goal. He led the Flames to the playoffs four times in six years. Then came the final season on his contract and the best assembled in his career. 

2021-22 was the best season for Gaudreau on the ice. He scored 40 goals and 75 assists, both career highs, to finish fourth in the Hart Trophy voting. He led the Flames to a 50-21-11 record which was the best in the Pacific Division.

His finest and most iconic moment came in the First Round against the Dallas Stars when he scored the Game 7 overtime-winning goal to send the team to the Second Round. Gaudreau collected a rebound from a sharp angle and his shot hit the crossbar and sent the Saddledome into a frenzy. A Game 7 overtime goal is the best ending in sports and Johnny Hockey made sure his team was on the right side of one.

The Flames hit a wall against their rivals in the subsequent round when they faced the Edmonton Oilers. They won Game 1 but lost the next four, sending the Flames home early and Gaudreau into free agency where he had to make the toughest decision of his playing career.

Gaudreau’s Decision: A Reflection of his Family-First Drive

Gaudreau loved Calgary. He loved the fans and the community that he got to know for eight years. It’s a place that despite the cold reputation to outsiders, was one he wanted to revisit at the end of his career and a place he’d always call a home away from home. 

The Flames wanted to keep their star and they put down the best offer of any team (they put an eight-year contract on the table, no other team could match it). Gaudreau turned it down, making it clear he wanted to play closer to home. The COVID-19 pandemic was on his mind and so was the travel and border crossing he experienced from 2020-22 that was required to see his parents. 

Gaudreau wanted a place where close to home and also allowed his wife, Meredith, who works in the medical field, to settle down and raise a newborn (with another kid on the way). Enter Columbus. 

Like Calgary, Columbus wasn’t a place hockey stars flocked to. The Columbus Blue Jackets were and still are a franchise in disarray with only one playoff series victory to its name. That didn’t matter to Gaudreau. 

Columbus is one of the best cities in North America to raise a family and for Meredith Gaudreau, it was a great place to work. Better yet, the city was an hour flight or three-hour car ride away from home.

Gaudreau’s Tragic Death & Legacy

It’s been two years since Gaudreau’s big decision. The Blue Jackets were still a mess on the ice, finishing last place in the Metropolitan Division in back-to-back seasons but Gaudreau was one of the bright spots.

He played in 161 of the team’s 164 games while scoring 33 goals and 101 assists. He was the Blue Jackets' best player and a reason for hope in the future. 

Better yet, he was raising two little kids, Noa and Johnny, while spending the summer with his family in South Jersey. He was preparing for his sister’s wedding which would happen on Friday, August 30th. Then tragedy struck.  

Gaudreau and his brother were riding their bikes on a Thursday night on the same South Jersey suburb streets they made a name for themselves when a drunk driver hit both of them. This is where the grim stats are important for anyone reading this to keep in mind. 29 percent of all fatal car accidents involve speeding and 32 percent involve drunk driving. 

For anyone who gets behind the wheel, it’s always important to remember to drive slowly and drive sober. Both Gaudreau brothers were killed because someone chose to neglect both. 

Both young men will be remembered not for their play on the ice, although it was exceptional. They will be remembered for how they lived off of it. Both Johnny and Matthew always prioritised family and they cared about the communities they lived in. 

Their names will go hand-in-hand with the New Jersey community, Calgary, and Columbus but also the hockey world as a whole. The hockey community is a tight-knit one where it seems like everyone has a special bond or connection and it’s one of the many reasons there’s been as much outpouring over the two young players this week. 

Both Gaudreau’s will be missed. Johnny was 31 and Matthew was 29.