The first home game for the Columbus Blue Jackets was an emotional one as the team honored their fallen star, Johnny Gaudreau, who was tragically killed in a car accident over the summer.
The home opener in sports is typically a night of adrenaline and excitement, but Tuesday night in Columbus was an entirely different story, marked by a profound sense of loss and remembrance.
The Blue Jackets took to their own ice for the first time in the 2024-25 season, carrying heavy hearts as they played their first home game since the devastating death of their star forward, Johnny Gaudreau. Gaudreau, 31, and his brother Matthew, 29, were tragically killed in late August by a suspected drunk driver while riding their bikes in their hometown in New Jersey just one day before their sister's wedding.
A Night of Remembrance: Columbus Blue Jackets Honor Johnny Gaudreau with Heartfelt Tribute
The news of Gaudreau's passing sent shockwaves throughout the NHL community and beyond, as tributes and memorials sprung up in both Columbus and Calgary, where he had spent his first eight seasons. Moments of silence and other solemn gestures have been ubiquitous across the league since the season commenced last week, but Columbus' home crowd had been anticipating this night, and they did not let it pass without honoring their beloved player in extraordinary fashion.
The team unveiled a memorial inside the arena, featuring game-worn equipment, a replica locker, and memorabilia from fan memorials. During warmups, both the Blue Jackets and the reigning Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers wore Gaudreau jerseys emblazoned with his No. 13. The team also draped his jersey from the rafters, a permanent testament to his legacy.
A Night of Remembrance: Columbus Blue Jackets Honor Johnny Gaudreau with Heartfelt Tribute
As the puck dropped, Columbus took to the ice with just four players, noticeably missing a left-winger, the position Gaudreau had played. Both the Panthers and Blue Jackets allowed 13 seconds to run off the clock in his memory.
In a moment of poetic symbolism, Sean Monahan, one of Gaudreau's closest friends on the team and a fellow former Calgary Flames teammate, scored the Blue Jackets' second goal of the night. Monahan pointed to Gaudreau's No. 13 hanging in the rafters after his goal, a poignant gesture that reverberated throughout the arena.
A Night of Remembrance: Columbus Blue Jackets Honor Johnny Gaudreau with Heartfelt Tribute
Guy Gaudreau, Johnny's father, was in attendance for the morning skates on Monday and Tuesday. "It looked like he was just having a blast," said Blue Jackets head coach Dean Evason. "Just having fun skating. I said to him 'any time you want to come out, you’re more than welcome.'"
The outpouring of love and support for the Gaudreau family and the Blue Jackets organization has been overwhelming, with fans rallying around them during this difficult time. The team's tribute was a fitting send-off for a player who had touched the lives of so many, both on and off the ice.
The circumstances surrounding Gaudreau's death remain tragic. According to New Jersey State police, the Gaudreau brothers were cycling on a road when 43-year-old Sean Higgins, driving in the same direction, attempted to pass two other vehicles and struck them from behind. Higgins was charged with two counts of death by auto and jailed at the Salem County Correctional Facility.
The loss of Johnny Gaudreau is an immeasurable one for the Blue Jackets, the NHL, and the hockey world as a whole. His legacy will live on through the memories of his teammates, coaches, and fans, as well as through the countless lives he touched during his time on earth. The tribute paid to him by the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday night was a testament to his enduring spirit and the profound impact he had on those around him.
