The Gaudreau family, the hockey world, the sports world, the City of Columbus, the City of Calgary, and so many more were in mourning last week after the world lost Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau.
"Johnny Hockey" was more than just an athlete during his time with the "C" of Red. A community leader, the face of the franchise, a family man, and someone who would give you the time of day no matter who you were.
Speechless. pic.twitter.com/FVm7OSWDwy
— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) September 2, 2024
Many people have shared their encounters with Johnny and it's telling how good of a person he was with how he handled the community spotlight.
I count myself lucky to have to have had a one-time encounter with Johnny way before I ever got involved in the world of journalism.
Like many others, I first took notice of Johnny during the 2013 World Junior Hockey Championships where he would go on to win a gold medal with Team USA and score seven goals in seven games, finishing the tournament with nine points.
He was obviously smaller than most players, but you could tell that Calgary's 4th round pick was going to make an impact on the league.
Fast forward to January 2015. By this point, Gaudreau had made his first appearance as a full-time member of the Flames, and I had just moved to London, Ontario to study Radio Broadcasting at Fanshawe College. While I was enjoying my time there and watching some good hockey with the Knights, I felt like I had been missing out on seeing Johnny play live. Luckily enough, I went home for Christmas that year and was gifted tickets to see the New York Islanders and the Calgary Flames play at the Saddledome.
My dream of seeing "Johnny Hockey" was finally a reality. Not only was I glued to Johnny every time he hit the ice, but I was in awe of his pure skill and how with his size he was able to move around. Gaudreau eventually scored in the game and my whole trip back to Calgary was complete, or so I thought.
The night wasn't over for my friend and me, as we hit Cowboy's Casino after the game. Lucky for us, anyone wearing a Flames jersey got free entry into the casino's club for a Boyz II Men show that night.
Neither of us being big fans, we decided to take a stroll. One fellow told me Johnny Gaudreau was on his way to Cowboys. I told him I'd believe it when I saw it.
Lo and behold, five minutes later, in comes Johnny. He was with Brandon Bolig and an entourage of people. Gaudreau was 5'9'' but his aura instantly filled the room.
Starstruck, the first thing I do is run over and introduce myself, Johnny hasn't even taken five steps into the place and I was already all over him. Instead of getting his people to tell me to go away, he breaks out into conversation with me and lets me walk with him. I asked him for a picture, but he told me he'd rather not be photographed in a casino.
I couldn't believe it. The guy could have told me to go away at any point but instead made me feel like I was a part of his group.
That wasn't the end of it, either.
We kept walking and by this point, I guess I was blending in with his entourage, as I walked right into the VIP section with them.
There was something I wanted to show him. Back in Ontario, I had performed a radio bit at Fanshawe about what an inspiration Johnny was to me. I pulled out my phone and asked if he'd like to hear it. Johnny listened to it, gave me a hug and offered to buy me a drink while in the VIP section.
This experience has lived rent-free in my mind ever since the moment it happened. Johnny had every right to tell me to leave him alone, instead, he embraced me and left a lasting impression on me for the rest of my days.
In the years after, I made a point of taking in a Flames game to see Johnny play every time I came back to Calgary. It wasn't a mistake, either. Without fail, he scored in every game I went to. I even saw him score a couple of hat tricks.
That brings me to Matthew, Johnny's little brother who also tragically lost his life last week. They played together at Boston College, and it seems like he always brought out the best in Johnny. Matthew was in the stands during one of the hat tricks I witnessed, which made a lot of sense, as Johnny would've elevated his game knowing his little brother was in the Dome.
Matthew can be seen on the jumbotron after Johnny scores his second and third goal of the game in the highlights below.
The second Gaudreau hat trick I got to see in person was the last time I saw him. It was against Andrei "The Alien" Vasilevskiy and was the sixth in Johnny's career. On the first and second goals, Johnny made a unique play, scoring from behind the net. On the second goal, the look on Vasi's face says it all. He couldn't believe he was fooled again by #13.
Whether Johnny was dazzling fans on the ice with his pure skill and defying the odds of his small stature in a big man game, taking time around the community, showing the importance of family, or even getting caught being scared of the cannon in Columbus, Johnny made a lasting impression on me and many more across the planet.
The Calgary Flames are holding a Candlelight Vigil tonight (Sept. 4) at 8:00 pm at the Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau memorial outside of the Saddledome.
Whether or not you can make it, be sure to keep Johnny, Matthew, and the Gaudreau family in your heart.
Johnny Father
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) August 31, 2024
Husband
Son
Brother
Nephew
Friend
Teammate
Role Model
Hockey
Forever pic.twitter.com/tEJaowxadh