Until Johnny Gaudreau showed up, Hockey Calgary never included the number 13 in its jersey orders.
Why? Bad luck.
“Thirteen was always considered an unlucky number,” said Kevin Kobelka, executive director of Hockey Calgary. But that changed when the small left winger from the northeast United States became the Calgary Flames’ unexpected superstar. A decade later, the local hockey organization no longer thinks twice about including the number in its seasonal orders.
“Now when our teams buy our jerseys, the number 13 is part of that jersey. I think that’s credit to Johnny and to the love that the community and the players in Calgary had for him,” Kobelka said in an interview Friday.
Though an instance of superstition — a well-known feature of hockey culture — it was an instructive example of a situation in which Gaudreau, the former Flame who passed away alongside brother Matthew on Thursday night after being struck by a suspected drunk driver while they were out cycling, turned a challenging hand into a winning one.
Mourning Flames fans continued to visit an impromptu vigil at the foot of the Saddledome Saturday morning. Fathers with little ones on their shoulders, teens who grew up marvelling at the nifty 5-ft.-9 winger, and even a group of local firefighters stood quietly in front of the steps, which on Saturday remained blanketed in jerseys, flowers and purple Gatorade — so much purple Gatorade.
Allan Okabe remembers when he and his sons, Justin and Aidan, met a young Gaudreau at training camp in Calgary well before the youngster reached household-name status in the city. Watching Gaudreau play with eventual long-time friend and teammate Sean Monahan, they had a feeling the baby-faced forward was a level above the rest.
Particularly for Justin and Aidan, with their jerseys dangling around their knees, witnessing someone perform at a high level despite his small stature was inspiring for the boys early in their careers, he said.
“He just made everybody bigger,” Allan said. “He grew up with these guys and inspired a whole generation.”
Gaudreau was also a beacon for humility, he said — an element that can’t be understated for a parent raising a couple hockey players who, like every young player before them, watched their idols like hawks so they could integrate every piece of the player’s personality and skills into their game. “We always felt he was a superstar but he never acted like it. He never had an ego — he seemed like a guy who loved hockey, and that’s what I always wanted our kids to be,” said Okabe.
Off to the side of the vigil sat Larry Hodgson, who arrived at the Saddledome with a lawn chair, a small table, an empty book and a pen so fans could write messages to the Gaudreau family. Shortly after setting up, a small lineup formed as couples and families lined up to send their thanks and condolences.
Hodgson, a Flames fan since he moved with his wife in 2004, said Friday was particularly emotional once the news of Gaudreau’s death had been confirmed.
“I was shocked. I didn’t believe it. And then it came over the news and it just started to sink in,” he said. “Of course, I was upset and I cried. I just thought this would be the thing to do to help. I just wanted to do something for the family.”
Gaudreau’s personal effect, along with his on-ice skills, are what drew Hodgson to become a fan of the unlikely spitfire who scored more than 200 goals for the Flames.
“He was a good little hockey player.”
— With files from Hiren Mansukhani
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