“Beautiful”: Flames in awe of love and support for Johnny Gaudreau

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Calgary Flames players are in awe of the love and support for Johnny Gaudreau in the weeks since he and his brother were killed in a tragic drunk-driving incident.

A funeral service was held for the two brothers on Monday, and it was well-attended by both family and various NHL players who had played with Johnny at one point or another. The beautiful ceremony featured many heartwarming speeches and a shocking announcement from Johnny’s widow, Meredith, that she was pregnant with his third child.

Flames captain Mikael Backlund has seen the outpouring of love and support for his former teammate and is happy to see that so many people cared so deeply for the brothers.

“Great to see a lot of old teammates there and so many players showing up and showing support for Johnny and his family and Matthew and his family,” said Backlund at the Flames’ celebrity charity golf classic. “Last 10 days have turned the world upside down a little bit and just really sad.”

The outpour of support from the city of Calgary has also been tremendous. Backlund gave a moving speech at the team’s vigil for the Gaudreau brothers last week.

“It was a beautiful night; it was very hard, but it was beautiful to see so many people show up,” Backlund said. “It’s been great to see how much support and love he’s gotten.”

Blake Coleman also shared some of his thoughts on the support being given to Gaudreau from the Calgary hockey community. The 32-year-old was Johnny’s teammate for just a single season, but during that time, he realized how much Gaudreau meant to this city.

“I’m just proud of the response,” Coleman said of Calgary. “The city showed up in waves… It was pretty beautiful to witness the amount of uplifting they were doing for the Gaudreau family… It’s one of those things where you put your ego away and realize life is much more important than sports.”

“I’m really proud to be part of this city.”

Jonathan Huberdeau, who never actually played with Johnny in the NHL, was also quick to point out how much support Calgary has given the Gaudreau family. He wants to ensure that Johnny and Matthew’s memory is not soon forgotten.

“The people that rallied here in Calgary… His legend is never going to die here in Calgary,” said Huberdeau. “His legacy is going to go on and on.”

With the NHL season less than a month away, it’s fair to say that in the weeks to come, there will be many more tributes and stories about the Gaudreau brothers.

One thing is certain: the city of Calgary will do its absolute best to ensure Johnny’s legacy is carried on.

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