Though Johnny Gaudreau and Jarome Iginla never crossed paths as Calgary Flames teammates, there was clearly a level of mutual respect between the two team icons.
Iginla, who now works in the Calgary front office as a special advisor to general manager Craig Conroy, shared a tribute today in honour of Gaudreau, who was tragically killed along with his younger brother, Matthew, by a suspected drunk driver last week.
“With broken hearts, we pray for the Gaudreau family and friends during this devastating time,” Iginla wrote.
Iginla played with the Flames from 1995 through 2013, before retiring in 2017 after stints with the Boston Bruins, Pittsburgh Penguins, Colorado Avalanche, and Los Angeles Kings. Gaudreau, meanwhile, made his Flames debut in 2014, staying with the franchise until 2022 before leaving for Columbus in free agency.
The Flames also shared a photo of Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk along with Iginla’s sons, Tij and Joe, at his jersey retirement. Tij became the Utah Hockey Club’s first-ever draft pick when they selected him at sixth overall earlier this year.
Iginla’s full statement, via the Flames’ official website, is below:
My family and I mourn the deaths of Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew.
While I never had the privilege to play with Johnny, the times we met or played against each other, I could feel how special he was. His love of the game and positive energy radiated from him. “Johnny Hockey” made our sport better in many special ways. My family and I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to have spent time with him, and we will always be his fans.
With broken hearts, we pray for the Gaudreau family and friends during this devastating time.
May your soul and your brother’s soul rest in peace.
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