The Calgary Flames will be relocating a portion of the Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau memorial to a different part of the Saddledome.
After droves of fans placed tributes to the late brothers on the front steps of the arena, including jerseys, flowers, hockey, sticks, and Johnny’s favourite purple Gatorade, those items will now be moved to a grassy section north of the stairs.
Fans are encouraged to use this new site for the memorial.
The Flames said that this is being done in preparation for an upcoming tribute as well as to preserve the memorial since the arena will be hosting a concert tonight.
“Thank you for all the love and support you have provided during this difficult time,” the team added in a release.
In preparation for an upcoming tribute and with a concert at the Saddledome tonight, we will be relocating a portion of the Gaudreau Memorial.
Moving forward, we encourage fans to use the grassy area immediately to the north of the stairs.
Thank you ❤️
— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) September 3, 2024
More details surrounding that upcoming tribute to the Gaudreau brothers are expected to be revealed later today by the team.
It’s hard to quantify just how much Johnny meant to the city of Calgary and to Flames fans across the globe. The undersized forward embodied what it meant to fight against the odds and persevere.
“Johnny Hockey” spent eight full seasons as a member of the Flames and was by far the team’s most electric player to watch. He put up a total of 210 goals and 609 points in 602 games as a Flame.
He also scored one of the team’s most memorable goals in recent memory with a Game 7 OT winner against the Dallas Stars in the 2022 playoffs.
Members of the Gaudreau family have been posting tributes of their own on social media. Johnny’s wife, Meredith, posted three separate tributes to her late husband, while Matthew and Johnny’s sister, Katie, posted one of her own as well.
A GoFundMe for Matthew’s wife, Madeline, and her unborn baby has helped raise over $550,000 for the young family.
It’s as tragic as a situation could get, but it looks like Calgary is doing its part to remember just how great these two young men were.