As she filled a suitcase Friday, Katie Gaudreau paused to find a favourite photo from a previous visit to the Saddledome, sharing that image on social media.
“Packing tonight makes me think about some of our first trips to Calgary,” Katie wrote on Instagram. “So thankful John got to play for one of the best hockey cities. As hard as this is a part of me is excited to be back in the city that made our brother a star.”
During Johnny Gaudreau’s nine-season stint with the Flames, the volume at the rink seemed to crank whenever he had the puck on his stick. After every clutch goal or highlight-reel assist, and there were a lot of those, the crowd would roar its appreciation.
There will be more loud cheers, unfortunately mixed with tears, as Gaudreau’s loved ones return to Calgary to attend Tuesday’s matchup between the Flames and Columbus Blue Jackets. It marks the first time that this heartbroken family has visited since the terrible summer tragedy that claimed the lives of both Johnny and his younger brother Matthew. They were riding bicycles along a rural road in their home state of New Jersey when they were struck by an alleged drunk driver.
As she waited Saturday to board their inbound flight, Jane Gaudreau told Postmedia via text message that she and her husband Guy “are looking forward to being in Calgary and showing our grandchildren the city where it all started.”
“Guy and I, along with our entire family, are looking forward to reconnecting with many friends in Calgary,” Jane wrote. “The love and support so many of you have shown for John, Matty, and our family have helped us through the hardest time of our lives. We are deeply grateful to the Flames organization for inviting us back.
“The Flames organization and the Calgary fans have been a special part of our lives for over 13 incredible years,” she continued. “Some of the friendships we’ve made here have become like family to us, and we will always cherish the memories we’ve created together. Calgary holds a special place in our hearts. It’s where we watched John grow from a college student into a remarkable young man, and as parents, we are incredibly proud. Returning to the city John called his second home for the majority of his adult life feels both therapeutic and healing.
“We are so thankful for the time we’ve spent in this wonderful city and the relationships we’ve built here. We look forward to seeing everyone again and reconnecting with the city that has meant so much to our family.”
Among those en route to Calgary are Guy and Jane, their daughters Kristen and Katie and Johnny’s wife Meredith and two children.
The contingent of Gaudreaus will also include Matthew’s wife, Madeline.
Both Meredith and Madeline are pregnant.
“I’m excited to get to Calgary,” Meredith told Sportsnet as part of a tear-jerking feature that was filmed on U.S. Thanksgiving and broadcast Friday as the Flames faced the Blue Jackets in Columbus. “I know John always wanted to get the kids out there so I’m going to extend the trip and do everything that we loved to do around the city.
“I’m excited for people in the organization to meet the kids and have the fans see the kids, because they are the biggest piece of John’s legacy, and they just deserve that. They have been amazing. We have so much love for the city. It’s where it all started.”
That love is mutual, and that will no doubt shine through Tuesday. Johnny’s two former teams — after racking up 609 points and six all-star nods in the Flaming C, he signed with the Blue Jackets as a free agent in 2022 — will warm up in No. 13 jerseys, which will later be auctioned off to support charities of the family’s choice. Proceeds from the 50/50 will be directed to MADD Canada and KidSport.
There will be a special video tribute and when the Gaudreaus walk to centre ice for a ceremonial faceoff, it will be an opportunity for fans to once again show them what their superstar son meant to the city. If you were able to score a ticket, you may want to tuck a few tissues in your pocket.
For most in the C of Red, this sold-out contest has been circled on the calendar ever since the heart-wrenching news in late August. As many have pointed out, it seems fitting it is the 13th home game on the Flames’ schedule.
Calgary made international headlines with its outpouring of love and support after the tragedy. Grief-stricken fans left flowers, cards, hockey sticks, Skittles and bottles of purple Gatorade on a staircase outside the Saddledome. There were countless messages scrawled in sidewalk chalk, and thousands showed up to pay their respects at a candlelight vigil.
“Just how much Johnny meant to the city, meant to the organization, it’s still hard to put into words,” said Flames general manager Craig Conroy as he readied to welcome Johnny’s loved ones back to Calgary. “To go out there that first day and see the memorial and then to go out every day after, it just made you proud to be a Calgary Flame. Even though he hadn’t been with us for a couple of years, that doesn’t matter. He was a Calgary Flame, and that’s how we support Calgary Flames.
“To walk out there and read the notes, whether it was a person who just watched him on TV or got to meet him once or knew him well, it was special to see all those. It would bring a tear to your eye every time.”
On Saturday morning, Meredith shared an adorable photo on Instagram of her infant son in a one-piece snowsuit.
“Baby Johnny packing for Calgary!!” she wrote.
A snowsuit is a wise idea, especially with our unpredictable winter weather, but there’s no doubt that Tuesday’s most popular attire will be a Flames jersey with No. 13 on the back.
“I like going to all the games still,” said Meredith, who continues to live in Columbus and attended Friday’s emotional matinee at Nationwide Arena, during that sit-down with Sportsnet. “There’s people there in John’s jersey all the time, and I know they’re wearing them in Calgary still. It’s really touching and heartwarming seeing all that stuff.”