NHL Teams Commemorate Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau Amid Season Opener

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The memory of the Gaudreau brothers will be prominently featured when the Columbus Blue Jackets take to the ice against the Minnesota Wild for each team’s season opener on Thursday at 8 p.m. ET. The match serves as a somber reminder of the tragic loss of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau, who died on August 29 in a cycling accident involving a suspected drunk driver in Salem County, New Jersey.

“I live for Johnny,” stated a Blue Jackets forward. “… It’s a new season. He should be here. It’s always going to be tough. He’s my best friend. That’s something we were really looking forward to and it’s something that got taken away, so it’s a tough one to still navigate.” Johnny Gaudreau, who played 11 NHL seasons with the Blue Jackets and Calgary Flames, was 31. His brother Matthew, 29, played professionally in the American Hockey League, ECHL, and Sweden.

Sean Monahan, who signed a five-year, $27.5 million contract with the Blue Jackets on July 1, had anticipated continuing his on-ice partnership with Johnny Gaudreau, as the pair previously spent nine seasons together with the Flames. Monahan is now looked upon to fill the scoring void left by his friend and teammate. “It’s a day-by-day process,” Monahan said. “I mean, I don’t really know how I handle it. You just do. I think about it all day.”

Blue Jackets coach Dean Evason shared a personal connection with Johnny Gaudreau, describing their meeting after Evason was hired on July 22. “When I first got the job, I talked to [general manager] Don Waddell and I said, ‘I think it’s important that I meet with one player, and that’s Johnny Gaudreau,'” Evason recalled. He emphasized Johnny’s commitment to the team and their shared goals during a long lunch meeting. “All he talked about was the team, how he felt that this team could win and have success and he wanted to be part of it,” said Evason.

John Hynes, coach of the Wild and former coach of Johnny during several international events, including the 2024 IIHF World Championship in Prague, spoke highly of Johnny. “Everything they said about him is true,” Hynes commented. “He’s a great kid… Just thankful that you have the opportunity to coach him and get to know him. But you also understand the tragedy of the situation.”

A pregame ceremony will be held to honor the Gaudreau brothers at the Xcel Energy Center, with both teams participating in the tribute. “We’ve talked to our group constantly, and we will continue to talk because every team’s going to do something special for Johnny and Matthew, and we’re going to embrace it,” Evason stated, emphasizing the teams’ dedication to honoring the Gaudreaus’ legacy.