Cole Caufield Honors Johnny Gaudreau by Changing Jersey Number to 13

The Montreal Canadiens‘ forward, Cole Caufield, has announced that he will now wear the number 13 on his jersey, paying tribute to his childhood hero, Johnny Gaudreau.

Tragically, Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew, lost their lives last Thursday evening after being struck by a vehicle while cycling in New Jersey.

Caufield expressed his condolences through an Instagram post, stating, “We have all lost an incredible person, both on and off the ice, in the tragedy of last week.” He extended his heartfelt sympathies to the entire Gaudreau family, particularly to Johnny’s wife and their two children, whom he had the pleasure of meeting.

Throughout his first four seasons in the National Hockey League with the Canadiens, Caufield had previously worn the number 22. By adopting the number 13, he becomes the ninth player in the history of the organization to do so, following the likes of Alex Tanguay, Mike Cammalleri, and Max Domi in recent years.

Caufield shared his excitement, stating, “Playing alongside your hero is something that most people only dream of. I had the privilege of being Johnny’s teammate last summer at the World Championship, and it didn’t take long for me to realize what a wonderful person he was.”

He reflected on his time wearing number 22, calling those years some of the best of his life. “This is truly a dream come true, and I will always keep those memories and that number close to me. I wore number 13 at one point in my career because of Johnny, and now I will wear it again to honor him.”