Fans left bouquets of flowers, Calgary hockey gear and various tributes on the steps of the Saddledome to honour former Calgary Flames star Johnny Gaudreau on Friday.
Gaudreau and his brother were struck and killed by a suspected drunk driver when they were cycling in their home state of New Jersey on Thursday night.
Gaudreau, 31, and brother, Matthew, 29, are natives of Carneys Point, N.J., and were scheduled to be groomsmen at their sister Katie’s wedding scheduled for Friday in Philadelphia.
Hailed as one of the top hockey players in North America, the skilful forward dubbed “Johnny Hockey” by fans was a father and husband. He is survived by his wife and two young children.
He played eight full seasons with the Flames before signing with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2022.
As hockey fans across the continent woke up to news of Johnny Gaudreau’s death, tributes started pouring in, including in Calgary. Gaudreau was drafted by the Calgary Flames in 2011 and played with the team for eight seasons. Calgary Herald sports writer Danny Austin spoke to the Calgary Eyeopener about the man known as “Johnny Hockey.”
Devoted Calgary fans of the star forward are pouring their hearts out in reaction to his tragic death.
Fans described Gaudreau as one of the few bright stars that the Flames have had since the tenure of Calgary legend Jarome Iginla. Gaudreau was the face of the franchise for years.
‘One of the best Calgary Flames ever’
Anthony Verdone, who left Skittles and purple Gatorade at the Saddledome as a tribute to Gaudreau, told CBC News the items carry a sentimental weight for fans.
“Skittles were kind of what he grew up playing hockey with. His dad used to give them to him to incentivize him to play,” he said.
Verdone left the Gatorade as a nod to the drink of choice for Gaudreau and his former linemates, Sean Monahan and Elias Lindholm when they played together in Calgary.
“Just a little tribute to one of the best Calgary Flames ever,” Verdone said.
“I was lucky enough to meet Johnny a couple times, just around the city, and more so than him just being a great hockey player, he was a great person.”
James Bunker, a longtime fan of the Flames, told CBC News it was surreal to learn of Gaudreau’s death.
“He’ll go down in history as one of the guys we always talk about,” Bunker said.
“Still can’t really wrap my head around it.… Such a young guy, and I mean, shows life’s short. And yeah, it’s a big loss to the community, the hockey world.”
Bunker said Gaudreau was a great ambassador for Calgary hockey.
“He was just the main guy here and, you know, gave us things to look forward to. I know he’s a big role model for kids wanting to get into hockey,” he said.
‘A really painful day’
Young brothers Lucca, Michael and Ethan Valente, wearing Calgary Flames gear, paid tribute to Gaudreau with flowers at the Saddledome.
“He was a really important part of my — our — family because we’re really big Flames fans. My friend, I was just on the phone with him, and he was really sad, too,” Lucca told CBC News.
Lucca wished Gaudreau’s family well and emphasized the crucial role he played in the Flames’ lineup.
“He was like our No. 1 player,” Michael said. “We loved him so much … since we were kids, we used to watch him every day, every Flames game.”
Ethan said he has a hard time articulating the pain he feels in losing one of his favourite players.
“This is a really painful day,” he said.
Calgary Eyeopener8:30Remembering Johnny Gaudreau
Former Flames forward Johnny Gaudreau has died. We remember his career here in Calgary.
Aryan Zamani, along with his brother Bijan, left flowers at the Saddledome for Gaudreau. He told CBC News he was shocked when he heard of Gaudreau’s death.
“We heard about the rumours last night, and we were just hoping that none of it was true,” Aryan said. “We watched him growing up as kids. He was the person who probably made me watch hockey in the first place.”
Bijan chimed in, “same here.”
“To see him go at such a young age, for such a horrible reason, makes me sick,” Aryan said.
NHL player Johnny Gaudreau, a 31-year-old forward for the Columbus Blue Jackets, and his younger brother Matthew were killed Thursday night when they were hit by a car while riding bicycles in their home state of New Jersey.
Zamani said Gaudreau played with a vibrancy not seen in many other skaters, and his tenacity on the ice will be missed.
“Probably the most skilled Flames player I have ever watched in my life,” he said.
Zamani said there is one surefire way the Flames can honour Gaudreau: “Retire his number.”
