When Bret Hart was announced for a special appearance on RAW in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, fans just had to know he would interact with some member of the WWE Universe, but who would it be? Would he hype up a babyface like Sami Zayn? Get into it with a heel like Gunther? Or simply address the crowd, run through the greatest hits of his glory days, and then ride off into the sunset? Surely he wouldn't talk smack on Vince McMahon, who he has been a vocal critic of as of late, but Bill Goldberg? Oh yeah, he is always on the table when it comes to “The Hitman.”

Well, as it turns out, pretty much all of that happened during the segment – minus anything about Mr. McMahon – as Gunther came out, declared himself the new “Best there is, and best there's ever going to be” – and named Goldberg, not Vader, his favorite wrestler – and was fought off by the “Underdog from the Underground,” who is still hounding for a match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. But the real highlight of the segment and, frankly, of the night belonged to Zayn, who came out to the ring wearing the Calgary Flames jersey of the late, great Johnny Gaudreau and got the entire arena chanting the late winger's name in a must-watch moment for fans of the NHL, of wrestling, and of spots in general.

Touching stuff, right? Though Zayn didn't address the situation head-on in the moment, and neither did noted Flames fan Hart, the moment was incredibly special for everyone in the arena, including the dynamic duo John Tessitore and Jackie Redmond, who took a segment out of RAW to pay tribute to the late, great sharpshooting wing.

Sami Zayn wasn't the only WWE member to tribute Johnny Gaudreau

In a surprisingly touching moment that garnered incredible cheers from fans around the arena, WWE decided to commit a second segment to Gaudreau while in his “home arena,” with Tessitore addressing the camera head-on to deliver a pre-written tribute to the fallen winger, letting his friends, family, and the rest of the world know that while he and his brother may be gone, his Flame will never burn out in the fans he touched along his professional hockey journey.

Related Calgary Flames NewsArticle continues below
Vancouver Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet gestures during a game against the Winnipeg Jets in the third period at Canada Life Centre.
NHL rumors: Flyers, Bruins, Kraken linked to former Canucks coach
Erie Otters forward Malcolm Spence skates during an Ontario Hockey League Western Conference quarterfinal game against the Kitchener Rangers at Erie Insurance Arena.
Top 2025 NHL Draft prospect makes final decision on Michigan commitment
Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger (29) stops a shot by Winnipeg Jets center Vladislav Namestnikov (not pictured) during the third period in game three of the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at American Airlines Center.
NHL insider demands Jake Oettinger over Connor Hellebuyck for Team USA

“This is, of course, one of the great arenas in the NHL. This is the arena where one of the great players in the NHL in a recent generation played, Johnny Gaudreau. He was the star for nearly a decade in this town. On August 29th, Johnny and his brother, Matthew, were tragically killed by a driver who is now facing charges of reckless driving, and Johnny was beloved, a sports hero here; everywhere you look, you will see a number 13 jersey around town. Today, Johnny and his brother were laid to rest, on a day when this community continues to remember him. Jackie Redmond has more.”

Cutting to Redmond, who has spent extensive time with Gaudreau at her other job with the NHL, RAW‘s backstage reporter delivered a touching tribute to the fallen hockey players, recalling their special contributions on the ice and off of it.

“Tess, thank you. I'm outside the Saddledome, where a very large display of love to honor the memory of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau continues to grow. As fans arrived here tonight, they walked by dozens of number 13 jerseys, love letters from fans, and even some of Johnny's favorite snacks. Johnny Hockey, as we lovingly refer to him as in the Hockey world spent the better part of a decade electrifying Hockey fans in this very arena, and he was a special type of player. The type of player that got people out of their seats and onto their feet the second the puck was on his stick, I mean he was magical to watch and a pleasure to interview. The WWE would like to send its deepest condolences to Johnny's wife, Merideth, Matthew's wife, Madeline, and the whole Gaudreau family as they continue to navigate this unimaginable tragedy. It is with profound sadness that we join the entire sports world in both mourning and celebrating the lives of John and Matthew Gaudreau.”

Was Gaudreau a wrestling fan? Frankly, it's hard to really say, but on the season premiere of RAW, with Hart and Zayn in the building and the arena packed to the rafters, every wrestling fan in Calgary was a Johnny Gaudreau fan, as were the fans watching along at home around the world.