In 2017, Johnny Gaudreau came up with an idea that would make his scoring talents useful in ways greater than just helping the Flames reach the playoffs.
With All-Star Games and a rookie-of-the-year nomination already part of his profile, the then-Flames forward made a call to the KidSport Society of Calgary, a charity that helps low-income families cover registration and equipment costs for young athletes.
It was then that he initiated a fundraising challenge in which he’d donate $1,000 for every goal he scored that season. (The Calgary Flames foundation ended up matching those donations one-for-one.)
“We were very excited to have that call and opportunity,” Kevin Webster, CEO of KidSport Calgary, said in an interview Friday. Gaudreau, 31, and his 29-year-old brother, Matthew, died in a collision with a car Thursday night while riding their bikes in New Jersey. The driver was arrested and charged with two counts of death by auto. Police believe the suspect was under the influence of alcohol, according to the Associated Press.
Gaudreau racked up 24 goals that season, good for $24,000 in donations and a total $48,000 including the Flames Foundation’s contribution. He scored 36 goals the next season and finished the 2021-22 season with a career-high 40 goals. KidSport provides up to $500 per child a year, meaning a 40-goal season would have helped at least 80 children get into organized sport every year — and double that with the Flames’ matching donation.)
That partnership continued until he left for the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2022. KidSport was the primary charity the young athlete worked with during his career in Calgary.
KidsSport often hosted suite nights at the Saddledome for Flames home games. When he was done with media obligations after those games, the young winger — thought to be the biggest Flames star since Jerome Iginla — would make his way up to the box to meet a group of starstruck young fans.
“For those kids, they thought of him as their buddy, right? They spent 20 minutes with someone who wanted to come hang out with them,” Webster said. “Those stories will live on and the impact he had on those kids and what he was able to help our organization do for kids can never truly be told but will definitely live on for many years.”
Gaudreau also had a long-standing relationship with Pizza 73. In 2017, the pizza chain named a special after him. The left-winger would make a personal donation to Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation for every ‘Johnny Hockey Hat Trick Special’ purchased.
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