WHEN SIDNEY CROSBY remember Johnny Gaudreau, thinking about the 2023 All-Star Game in Florida, sitting in a traffic jam on the way to his hotel in Fort Lauderdale.
“It was me, Johnny and (Kevin Hayes) in the back of the bus,” Crosby said. “Haysey was basically driving the back of the bus. I think he talked for 40 minutes. I don't think Johnny said anything, but he laughed for the whole 40 minutes.”
For Nathan MacKinnon, it's one of his standout hockey moments, as he scored the game-winning goal in overtime for Team North America against Sweden at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. MacKinnon still rewatches the clip on YouTube “a lot.”
“Johnny was the one who passed it on to me,” MacKinnon said. “We became really close friends at that tournament and had great chemistry on the ice. He was also a great person. He was never that serious. He was just a calm, kind, big-hearted guy.”
Jack Eichel loved being in Europe at the World Championships with Gaudreau, laughing as he struggled to read a menu that wasn't in English.
“He would try to explain to the waiter or waitress that he just wanted a steak, a filet with potatoes. He didn't want anything else,” Eichel said. “John was a very pure human being. He didn't care about the nice things. What he cared about was his family, his friends.”
By Connor McDavid The mind turns to the epic clashes at the Battles of Alberta.
“He stood up to everybody and had a big heart and played hard, despite his size,” McDavid said. “I think he was an inspiration to a lot of players who feel undersized. But he was also a lot of fun to watch, very skilled and very good on his edges.”
Auston Matthews thinks about the way everyone talked about Gaudreau.
“He is so loved by all of his friends, his teammates, his family and the people who knew him,” Matthews said. “It's hard to comprehend that Johnny and his brother are no longer with us.”
It has been less It’s been more than a month since Columbus Blue Jackets forward Johnny Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew, were killed by a suspected drunk driver while riding bicycles in their native New Jersey. The impact of the tragedy is both personal and far-reaching. The Gaudreaus value family above all else, but they have shared their grief with the hockey community, which also defines itself as family.
“I think we're proud to have been in hockey for so long,” Crosby said. “Our ability to support people and help each other in situations like this.”
That support was visible at the funeral in Pennsylvania, where hundreds of NHL players, coaches and executives attended.
As NHL training camps opened this week, emotions were still running high, especially in Columbus. The Blue Jackets, the NHL and the NHL Players Association have remained in contact with the Gaudreau family, monitoring their needs while also seeking input on memorial plans.
“We're not going to do anything with Johnny or Matty's name without the family's blessing,” general manager Don Waddell said. The team will wear helmet decals throughout the season featuring two doves; the idea for the doves came directly from the pins handed out at the funeral.
Players were reminded that free counseling is available. There are resources at their disposal, provided by the team, the players association and the league. But when the Blue Jackets players arrived for medical testing Wednesday, there was still concern about how exactly to proceed.
“I don't think it's fair to say we know exactly what to do,” said Capt. Boone Jenner. “I don't think there's a playbook for this situation and what's happened. And that's OK. I think we're going to learn and support each other as we go along.”
As a guiding principle, the Blue Jackets adopted a mantra: “What would Johnny want us to do?” Columbus coach Dean Evason asked that the night before the funeral, as his leadership group sat around. They decided Gaudreau would have wanted them to watch football and have a couple of beers. Gaudreau was known for his simplicity. He loved his Eagles so much that he often signed text messages with “Go Birds.”
The players agreed from the start that it would be a disservice to Gaudreau if they spent an entire season thinking about it.
“I'd like us to enjoy going out there,” defenseman Zach Werenski said. “Being around our teammates and being together.”
ON TOP OF THE FAN At the entrance to Nationwide Arena, there's a large mural of four Blue Jackets players. Gaudreau is prominently featured, throwing the puck. That's going to stay. Other logistical questions then arose. As the staff was preparing video for training camp, one of the coaches asked: Is it appropriate to include Gaudreau in the clips? Should we edit him out of it? Evason was unequivocally clear. “Johnny's going to teach,” Evason said. “For better and worse. If he didn't backcheck, we're going to show him. He's going to be with us. He's going to be a presence.”
The team is keeping Gaudreau's locker room intact. They will travel in his No. 13 jersey when on the road. Sean Monahan, one of Gaudreau's best friends, will suit up next to the empty locker room throughout the season. Monahan was the Blue Jackets' biggest free-agent addition this summer, signing a five-year contract on July 1.
“We all know that,” Waddell said. “The reason Sean decided to come here was because of Johnny.”
Gaudreau shocked the NHL when he decided to sign with Columbus in 2022. He was the league’s top free agent, having played his first nine years in Calgary and putting together a 115-point season. He then signed a long-term contract in Columbus at a time when not many other players would. But Gaudreau was considering where he and his wife, Meredith, wanted to start a family. Gaudreau often told people, “Columbus is right up my alley.”
Two years later, Monahan followed him from Calgary. At the funeral, Meredith said her husband copied everything Monahan did. Now, it was the other way around. Monahan bought a house three doors down from the Gaudreaus'.
Monahan wasn't quite ready to speak when the team held a candlelight vigil in Gaudreau's memory earlier this month. And when training camp opened Wednesday, he wasn't quite ready either, but he knew he wanted to say something. Wearing a jersey with a picture of Gaudreau and the No. 13, Monahan told the media, “I don't know the exact words I need to say yet.”
“We have a lot of weight on our shoulders right now,” Monahan said. “There's a big loss, a special person that's not here. Like I said, it's on my mind every day, every second. Obviously we want to do our best and do our best for Johnny.”
Thursday’s first on-ice session ended with players shooting across the rink at an empty net. Monahan went first and scored. Hugs and stick-touches followed. Monahan signed on to reunite with Gaudreau, but also to be a mentor to young Blue Jackets centers like Adam Fantilli and Cole Sillinger while protecting them from tougher minutes on the first line. It’s a role Monahan said he’s excited to take on.
“(Monahan) found himself in a tough spot, meeting the guys for the first time after this happened,” Werenski said. “I give him a lot of credit. Obviously, we know John is one of the main reasons he signed here. It goes back to that time when we were together. We're there for him and I think that speeds things up a little bit, relationships. It's one of the worst times of his life and it's been amazing to be around him. That says a lot about the type of person he is. As a group, we're here for him. We're going to get through this together.”
MOST OF THE PLAYERS RETURNED In recent weeks, Waddell was in Columbus for an informal skate before training camp. Every morning, Waddell made a point of walking through the locker room. He was encouraged when he witnessed normal conversations, laughter and even chirping.
“The kids are handling it a lot better than I thought they would,” Waddell said. “But we know there are going to be some tough nights throughout the year. Some dark moments. And we're going to have to get through them as a group.”
Waddell has already had to deal with uncomfortable tasks. He is still communicating with the league and the players association about how the Blue Jackets will handle the salary cap; they are under the lower limit. Last week, Columbus signed veteran James van Riemsdyk to a one-year contract. Van Riemsdyk has had other opportunities, but his reputation in more than 1,000 games in the league is that of a good person and a good teammate. For Columbus, this season is about progressing on the ice, but it’s also about developing the right culture.
So the team is still trying to set the right tone. It’s about remembering Gaudreau, but also understanding the importance of moving forward. Evason was already preaching the idea of starting fresh before the tragedy. He was hired as coach this summer, and one of his main goals was to let players earn their jobs. He told his staff not to tell him anything about the players — their personalities, how they played last year, how they conducted themselves. They’re all getting a fresh start on the ice.
The team postponed traditional festivities for its home opener, including blue-carpet player arrivals and a festival for fans, until Game 2. “It just didn't feel right to me,” Waddell said.
The Oct. 15 home opener at Nationwide Arena will be all about honoring the Gaudreau brothers. Everyone is braced for another wave of emotions and knows it's another step in the grieving process.
Monahan said: “I will miss him for the rest of my life.”
