CALGARY — Calgary Flames fans joined in an outpouring of love and sorrow for the family of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau with a makeshift tribute at Scotiabank Saddledome.
NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew were killed Thursday night when they were hit by a car while riding bicycles in their home state of New Jersey. Johnny was 31, Matthew was 29.
Affectionately known as “Johnny Hockey,” Johnny Gaudreau starred over parts of nine seasons with the Calgary Flames before joining the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2022.
Flames fans laid out a team jersey and hat, while others stopped by to leave flowers and handwritten notes on the steps outside Calgary’s home arena — where Gaudreau became an NHL star.
“Thanks Johnny for making the Flames great again,” someone wrote.
Jeremiah Nudd, wearing a signed jersey with Gaudreau's No. 13 won in a raffle, said he was feeling raw as he came by to drop off a bouquet.
“I didn’t know Johnny, but this just feels different. I’ve never had a celebrity death or something like that impact me the way this has,” he said.
Nudd said he’s been a lifelong Flames fan and remembered some “dark years” after longtime captain Jarome Iginla’s departure in 2013.
“But when this little guy from Boston College came to Calgary, the future just looked so bright,” he said.
The hockey-crazed fan base also left bags of Skittles candy and bottles of purple Gatorade.
Gaudreau's father, Guy, famously threw Skittles on the ice to help teach him to skate. The purple Gatorade was a nod to a goal celebration between Gaudreau and his linemates.
Inside the Saddledome, the Flames projected a tribute on the jumbotron. An image of Gaudreau celebrating a goal was next to the words “In Loving Memory, Johnny Gaudreau, 1993-2024."
“Completely gutted. The world just lost one of the best. RIP Johnny,” Flames forward Blake Coleman, who played with Gaudreau during the 2021-22 season, said on social media.
“Trying to find the right words today is not easy,” added defenceman Rasmus Andersson with a picture of him with Gaudreau. “You were a hell of a hockey player but it’s the person Johnny that always is going to be with me, one of my closest friends.
“There hasn’t been a dry eye in the Andersson house today. We all love you Johnny."
Flames great Lanny McDonald posted a lengthy tribute to the Gaudreaus on Instagram Friday evening. McDonald said the news of their deaths hit his family "like a ton of bricks."
"Let the hockey world rally around the Gaudreaus, their families and friends, and although we can’t even start to understand the depth of their shock and pain, I hope they are overwhelmed with the outpouring of love and support," wrote McDonald.
"Go easy on those legends up there in heaven’s hockey rink, boys. You’re getting there earlier than expected, but they’ll take good care of you."
The two brothers were in Carneys Point, N.J., for their sister Katie's wedding scheduled for Friday in Philadelphia, at which they were to be groomsmen.
New Jersey State police said Friday the Gaudreau brothers were cycling on a road when a man driving in the same direction attempted to pass two other vehicles and struck them from behind, causing fatal injuries.
Police said the driver, Sean M. Higgins, was suspected of being under the influence of alcohol and charged with two counts of death by auto and jailed at the Salem County Correctional Facility.
Johnny Gaudreau was a seven-time NHL all-star and a Hobey Baker Award winner as the top men’s player in college hockey, despite being undersized at five-foot-nine and 180 pounds.
Longtime NHL executive Brian Burke, who was the Flames’ president of hockey operations from 2013 to 2018, highlighted Gaudreau’s passion for the game, and dedication to his family and the Calgary community.
“Johnny was always the first to raise his hand to give back to the community. When we had any charity requests, we always knew he would say yes, without hesitation,” Burke wrote in a statement on social media. “His love of his family, friends, and alma matter was always apparent and was clearly the driving force in his life. What I will remember most was his happiness, enthusiasm, and kindness that radiated out through the locker room every day."
Flames fan Kevin Smith, after giving a silent prayer at the Saddledome memorial, said Gaudreau’s presence in the community converted him from a diehard Detroit Red Wings supporter.
“Of course he’s a great hockey player,” Smith said. “But just what he gave back to the community… That’s what brought me to him.”
Gaudreau is survived by his wife, Meredith, and his children, Noa and Johnny.
The Tsuut’ina Nation, located southwest of Calgary, mourned the death of “an instant fan favourite.”
“Tsuut’ina is in a state of shock at the news of the tragic deaths of Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew. It’s no secret that most Tsuut’ina people are rabid hockey fans, and this news hits hard,” Tsuut’ina Chief Roy Whitney said in a statement.
“Johnny was simply magical on the ice. I cannot remember another player with such skating skill and such mastery of the game, and yet with a gentle demeanour and humility."
Former Blue Jackets head coach Pascal Vincent, now the coach of the American Hockey League’s Laval Rocket, said it was a privilege to get to know “the real Johnny Gaudreau — the person behind the hockey player.”
“He was a humble and unassuming young man with extraordinary talent, who never sought to be in the spotlight,” Vincent said in a statement through the Montreal Canadiens. “His passion for the game and exceptional hockey sense allowed him to achieve greatness, yet he remained grounded and true to himself."
Matthew Gaudreau played four seasons as a forward at Boston College, joining Johnny on the Eagles during the 2013-14 campaign. He went on to play professionally in the AHL and ECHL.
The tributes extended beyond the hockey world, with NBA star LeBron James, MLB star Mike Trout and politicians across Canada sending their condolences to the Gaudreau family.
“Johnny Gaudreau may have come up from the States, but hockey fans in Calgary, and across Canada, will remember him as one of our own,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wrote.
One of Gaudreau's most memorable moments as a Flame came on May 15, 2022, when he scored the Game 7 overtime winner to help Calgary eliminate the Dallas Stars in the first round of the NHL playoffs.
“His thousand-watt smile and infectious personality were matched only by his love for his family, friends, and those close to him,” said Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving, GM of the Flames from 2014 to 2023.
“He brought joy to everyone around him and to the many who never knew him but marvelled at his excellence on the ice.”
— With files from reporter Lauren Krugel in Calgary.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 30, 2024.
The Canadian Press
