The Columbus Blue Jackets will have the opportunity to commemorate the loss of former teammate Johnny Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew. The team is set to travel and attend Gaudreau's funeral, according to NHL Network's Aaron Portzline. The details of the funeral are unknown at this time. The brothers were killed on Thursday night by an alleged drunk driver. They were riding their bikes in Oldmans Township, New Jersey when Sean Higgins struck them trying to pass another car.
One of Gaudreau's former teammates, Jaromir Jagr had a memorable experience with Gaudreau on the Calgary Flames. In Jagr's final season, he only scored one goal but was set up by Gaudreau on a 2-on-1 break against the Detroit Red Wings. Since Gaudreau's death, Jagr took some time and posted an Instagram reel remembering what the 5-foot-9 “Johnny Hockey” brought to everyone.
“I honestly never thought I'd write a text like this to a post,” Jagr wrote. “Yes, that was my last NHL goal, yes that was a pretty nice goal. Yes, it was a beautiful pass above all. Unfortunately, life can sometimes be incredibly cruel. Thank you Johnny Gaudreau for being there and giving hope to all the guys with your incredible performances that though they are not the biggest and toughest, they can succeed at the NHL, and be world-class just like you did. My condolences to the whole family. R.I.P. to you and your brother.”
How will the Blue Jackets and others honor Johnny Gaudreau?
The Blue Jackets have already begun the process of honoring Gaudreau. The team hosted a candlelit vigil on Tuesday evening at Nationwide Arena. During the vigil, there was a 13:21 second moment of silence, both honoring Johnny's No. 13 and Matthew's No. 21.
Montreal Canadians star Cole Caufield shared a special tribute on his Instagram about what Gaudreau has done. The 5-foot-7 winger played with Gaudreau on Team USA at the IIHF World Championships this summer. He commemorated this season by wearing No. 13 in honor of his former USA teammate. Caufield credited Gaudreau with opening the door for shorter players to make it big in the NHL.
The Blue Jackets' first home game is against one of Gaudreau's former teammates, Florida Panthers left-winger Matthew Tkachuk. Also, the Blue Jackets and Flames play on November 29 and December 3. The Canadiens play Columbus on November 16, November 23, and December 23, with multiple opportunities for Gaudreau's legacy to be enshrined.