Johnny Gaudreau’s presence will be felt at the Saddledome on Saturday night.
While the exact details of how the Calgary Flames are planning to honour Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew, will be revealed as they unfold, there will be a moment of applause — not a moment of silence — to celebrate Johnny’s most memorable contributions to the Flames.
It’s sure to be an emotional night, especially for his former teammates.
“When it comes to Johnny, there is no managing (the emotion),” said Flames winger Blake Coleman. “It is what it is. It’s going to be a little emotional just to see the tribute and feel his presence with us again. It’s not just a light switch you can turn off.
“It’s way more important than a game of hockey and he deserves to be remembered and recognized and I’m happy I get to be here and see it and be a part of it and then, after that, we’ll take care of the game.”
Since the Gaudreau brothers were killed by a suspected drunk driver on Aug. 29, the hockey world has grieved. There have been tributes and moments of silence before games on the road, including in the Flames’ season opener against the Canucks in Vancouver on Wednesday night. The Canucks also made a $50,000 donation to a charity of the Gaudreau family’s choice.
There will surely be many more tributes in the months ahead, but Saturday night will be different.
Gaudreau left his mark on Calgary during his nearly decade-long tenure with the Flames. A huge, community-led memorial was created on the steps of the Saddledome in the days following the brothers’ tragic passing, and a candlelight vigil drew thousands of fans to the rink.
Saturday will be the first regular-season game at the Dome since.
“I think it’s a great thing to do, the right thing to do, to honour and remember him in a positive way,” said Flames captain Mikael Backlund. “He brought so much joy to this city and so much excitement, so it’s the right thing to do. There will be some goosebumps, there are some big highlights, so it will be emotional, for sure. But I like that we’re celebrating instead of doing a moment of silence.”
In addition to what happens at Saturday night’s game, Dustin Wolf has added a tribute to his own to his goalie mask. The Flames’ shot-stopper had an image of Gaudreau painted to the back of the mask that he will wear this season.
While Wolf didn’t play in any games with Gaudreau, he loved watching him compete and understands the impact that No. 13 had on the city of Calgary and the Flames organization. Paying tribute felt right.
“My painter came up with an idea to show our support for him and his family,” Wolf explained. “I went through the parts of asking (Gaudreau’s family) and getting their approval. He’s so important to the city of Calgary and I was only around him a handful of times, but I wanted to be able to show that we’re all here to support him and his family. I felt it was important.”
After the tribute, the Flames have a game to play against the Philadelphia Flyers.
They know it might be difficult to manage the emotions of a home opener and remembering Gaudreau, but that’s not a concern.
Some things are bigger than hockey, and honouring Gaudreau’s lasting legacy is one of them.
“For some guys, it will be something that will most definitely affect them differently than other players, for sure,” said Flames head coach Ryan Huska. “I just think you go out and you play your very best game. That’s really what it comes down to. Especially for three or four of our players, there will be some emotion, without a doubt, in that. It’s hard.
“My thought in my head would be go out and remember some of the good times and go out and play your very best game. That’s the best way you can go out and play to honour a good friend.”
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