Flames, Blue Jackets honour Gaudreau in emotional pregame ceremony
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“I hope the people of Calgary can remember me not only as a hockey player, but also as a good person with good values.
“Thank you for supporting me over the years, and making my family a part of yours.”
On their 13th home game of the regular season, the Calgary Flames paid tribute to Johnny Gaudreau, the longtime star who donned the number for nearly a decade with the organization.
Johnny and his brother, Matthew, died in August after they were struck by a car driven by an alleged drunk driver while riding their bikes in Oldmans Township, N.J.
The Flames’ tribute video on Tuesday led with those words from Gaudreau, which he wrote in a letter he penned to Calgary fans after he signed in Columbus in 2022. The clubs were facing each other in Calgary for the first time since his passing.
Johnny’s father, Guy, and mother, Jane, were at the game, along with his wife, Meredith, and kids, Noa and John, Jr., as well as members of their extended families. Flames fans, many in Gaudreau shirts and jerseys, gave them a rousing ovation when they were shown on the jumbotron.
The video tribute mostly featured Gaudreau away from the rink, with several shots of him in the Calgary community. One of the first images is of a young Gaudreau signing his entry-level contract with the team back in 2014. Jane and Guy were shown celebrating one of his many iconic moments at the Saddledome. There was a picture of him playing hockey with kids and another of him at the Calgary Stampede. Gaudreau’s Game 7 overtime goal versus Dallas and post-goal hug with Monahan in 2022 were shown as well.
All players were wearing Gaudreau jerseys during warmups and gathered on the ice for the ceremonial puck drop. Sean Monahan, the Columbus forward who became one of Gaudreau’s closest friends during their time together on the Flames, took the faceoff.
Monahan was in tears as Guy, Jane, and Meredith (with Noa in her arms) dropped the puck, which was hand-painted by a young fan named Maddyn and left Gaudreau’s memorial outside the Saddledome back in September. They were accompanied by Gaudreau’s sisters, Kristen and Katie.
Loud chants of “Johnny” then broke out.
Flames forward Blake Coleman embraced Guy as the teams took a group photo together with the Gaudreau family. The applause continued as Monahan was shown on the jumbotron. The ceremony ended as Meredith walked off, embracing Flames head coach Ryan Huska and equipment manager Mark DePasquale while fans continued to stand, cheer, and show the Gaudreau family that they will forever be part of the Flames family.
Before puck-drop, a young fan with a sign was shown on the jumbotron. The sign read, “Fly high, Johnny. Heaven gained an angel.”
The game started seconds later.