At an empty Saddledome, a memorial to Johnny Gaudreau was displayed on the big screen.
On the steps outside, somebody left behind a few bottles of purple Gatorade, a gesture that requires no explanation for an entire generation of Calgary Flames fans.
One of Gaudreau’s former teammates, Blake Coleman, expressed on social media what an entire city was feeling.
“Completely gutted,” Coleman wrote. “The world just lost one of the best.”
One of the best hockey players, although that’s not what Coleman was referring to and that wasn’t the focus as tributes poured in.
Gaudreau, 31, and his younger brother Matthew, 29, were killed Thursday in their home state of New Jersey. The siblings were riding bikes when they were struck by a suspected drunk driver.
“I can’t believe it’s true,” wrote Flames captain Mikael Backlund on Instagram. “I’m gutted. I’m going to miss you buddy.”
“Trying to find the right words today is not easy,” said Flames defenceman Rasmus Andersson, sharing a photo with Gaudreau that was taken at Andrew Mangiapane’s wedding earlier this summer. “You were a hell of a hockey player but it’s the person Johnny that always is going to be with me, one of my closest friends, it didn’t matter if we hadn’t spoken in a day or a week we always knew where we had each other!”
That was echoed from all of those who had been around Johnny, a seven-time participant in the NHL All-Star Game.
“John was a truly special player, dazzling on the ice with his incredible talent, but what made him truly special was the person he was off the ice,” said former Flames general manager Brad Treliving via statement. “His thousand-watt smile and infectious personality were matched only by his love for his family, friends, and those close to him. He brought joy to everyone around him and to the many who never knew him but marvelled at his excellence on the ice.”
“It cannot be overstated just what a joy it was for everyone involved to have Johnny Gaudreau on their team,” echoed former Flames executive Brian Burke in a social-media post. “First and foremost, Johnny was always the first to raise his hand to give back to his community. When we had any charity requests, we always knew he would say yes, without hesitation. His love of his family, friends and alma mater (Boston College) was always apparent and was clearly the driving force in his life.
“What I will remember most was his happiness, enthusiasm, and kindness that radiated out through the locker room every day. There are few players in hockey history who matched his passion and love for the game of hockey. His talent on the ice was enhanced, not diminished, by the fact that he was having fun out there. The entire Gaudreau family is in our thoughts and prayers as they navigate this incredibly difficult time.”
Johnny Gaudreau leaves behind a wife and two young children — a daughter who will soon turn two, and a son who was born in February.
While he spent the past two campaigns with the Columbus Blue Jackets, so many of his most memorable on-ice moments came during a nine-season stint with the Flames, including a Game 7 overtime goal to end a first-round series against the Dallas Stars in 2022.
Johnny racked up 210 goals and 399 assists in 602 career contests in Calgary’s colours. In franchise history, he trails only four fellow legends — Jarome Iginla, Theoren Fleury, Al MacInnis and Joe Nieuwendyk — on the all-time points list.
There are countless fans across southern Alberta with No. 13 jerseys hanging in their closets at home. If they’d formed a line, Johnny would have happily autographed every one of them.
Matthew Gaudreau also skated briefly in the Flames’ farm system, logging four appearances with the AHL’s Stockton Heat in 2019-20. For the past two winters, Matthew was coaching high-school hockey.
“Our hearts are broken by this devastating loss,” the Flames said in a statement. “Johnny was and always will be a member of the Flames family and loved by all of Calgary. The pain we feel for Johnny’s wife Meridith, children Noa and Johnny, parents Jane and Guy, sisters Kristen and Katie, and the entire Gaudreau family is immense. Ownership, management, players, and staff of the Flames express our heartfelt sympathies during their time of sorrow. You are in our thoughts and prayers.”