They are two of the most beloved legends in Calgary Flames history.
And, on Tuesday morning, Jarome Iginla paid tribute to Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew, who were killed last week by a suspected drunk driver while riding their bikes in Salem County, N.J.
Iginla, who serves as special assistant to Flames general manager Craig Conroy, wrote a letter mourning the two brothers that was published on the team’s website.
“While I never had the privilege to play with Johnny, the times we met or played against each other, I could feel how special he was,” Iginla wrote. “His love of the game and positive energy radiated from him. ‘Johnny Hockey’ made our sport better in many special ways.
“My family and I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to have spent time with him and we will always be his fans.”
Gaudreau’s tragic death has been met with an outpouring of grief from around the hockey world and especially in Calgary, where he starred for the Flames for nine seasons before joining the Columbus Blue Jackets in the summer of 2022.
His time with the Flames didn’t intersect with Iginla’s long tenure in Calgary, but in many ways they were the faces of their respective eras and would be on any fan’s Mount Rushmore of the team’s all-time greats.
Iginla is the Flames all-time points-leader with 1,095, while Gaudreau recorded the fifth-most with 609.
His impact, though, went far beyond the ice as Gaudreau became a beloved member of the hockey community.
That’s a big part of why Flames fans have created an impromptu memorial for the Gaudreau brothers on the steps of the Saddledome, with thousands of bouquets of flowers, jerseys and other memorabilia being left there in his honour.
Longtime teammate Rasmus Andersson retweeted a post by the Flames showing the fan-led tribute on Tuesday morning.
“Johnny what a player,” Andersson wrote. “Even better person truly loved by everyone.”
Both the Calgary Stampeders and Cavalry FC held pre-game tributes to Gaudreau prior to their games this weekend while tributes have poured in from around the sports world since the tragic news was revealed on Friday morning.
And while Iginla never played with Gaudreau, he and his family did get to know him a little over the years. The Flames posted a photo accompanying Iginla’s words that featured Gaudreau – and former teammate Matthew Tkachuk – skating with Jarome’s sons, Tij and Joe, prior to the team’s morning skate on the night they retired Iginla’s jersey back in 2019.
“With broken hearts, we pray for the Gaudreau family and friends during this devastating time,” Iginla wrote. “May your soul and your brother’s soul rest in peace.”