Johnny Gaudreau is gone? A sad farewell to a hockey star who was a genuine family man
We went to sleep Thursday with the rumor that Blue Jackets star Johnny Gaudreau might have been killed while riding his bicycle. We woke Friday morning to the reality that Gaudreau, 31, and his brother, Matthew, 29, were dead, that Gaudreau had left behind a wife, Meredith, and two young children, Noa, barely a toddler, and Johnny, a baby. The layers and layers of tragedy surrounding these deaths are deep enough to make a religious person question the existence of a higher power.
The impact on the Gaudreau family is unfathomable. Friday, they were to gather for a wedding in Philadelphia. Gaudreau's sister was to be married. Gaudreau and his brother were to be groomsmen. Gaudreau's wife was to be the maid of honor.
The capriciousness of the deadly event ? the Gaudreau brothers were bicycling on a country road and an aggressive driver, suspected to be under the influence of alcohol, hit them from behind ? is infuriating. Two men are dead and another is in jail, charged with two counts of death by auto.
Mourning: Johnny Gaudreau's death another tragic gut punch to Columbus Blue Jackets
It is like a meteor struck earth in Oldmans Township, New Jersey, Thursday night, and the families involved are left to forever stare into the crater. Meanwhile, seismic waves of pain rippled through time zones. The impact was felt in South Jersey, where Gaudreau was raised; in Dubuque, Iowa, where he played junior hockey; in Boston, where he played for BC; in Calgary and Columbus, where he played pro, and myriad other places we can't know. We went to sleep with a rumor and woke to a devastating reality. Johnny Hockey is gone?
When my wife heard, her heart went out to Meredith and the two babies. She burst into tears. Our kids started calling, all of them adults, all of them shaking. The Blue Jackets are part of their lives. Two of them bought No. 13 jerseys the very day Gaudreau signed his last free-agent contract on July 1, 2021. He's gone?
'Heartbreak': Columbus Blue Jacket fans mourn Johnny Gaudreau outside Nationwide Arena
The Jackets are known for their lack of success (they've won just one playoff series in 23 seasons), their sometimes-bumbling management (the ledger of poor decicsions is too long to list here) and their aversion to good luck (they've been in 18 draft lotteries and have never won the No. 1 pick). They've been visited by tragedy before, as well (goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks was killed in a fireworks accident on July 4, 2021).
Gaudreau was coming off a career year (40 goals, 115 points) with the Calgary Flames when he shocked the NHL world by signing with the Jackets in July 2022. He was the prize of the NHL's free-agent market that summer, and speculation was that he'd sign with the New Jersey Devils or Philadelphia Flyers. He and his wife chose Columbus in part because they saw it as a good place to raise their family. Gaudreau got a seven-year deal worth $68.25 million from the Jackets. Meredith Gaudreau was pregnant with Noa at the time. Both of the Gaudreau children were born in Columbus.
It was a big group hug.
"I've gotten to play here many times, and any time I play here it's a lot of fun to play here," Gaudreau said at his introductory press conference. "The fans are into it and they've got a lot of buzz there in the arena, so I was really excited about that. They've got a good young group here. I think that attracted me a little bit, too, and me and my wife thought it was a really good fit for us. … It just made the most sense."
Gaudreau played for awful teams in Columbus. He had 33 goals and 134 points in his 161 games in Union Blue. Last season (12-48?60) was the least productive of his career and he still led the team in scoring. As a sign of dedication to a more strident offseason regimen, he played for the U.S. in May at the World Championships held in Czechia. Like so many Blue Jackets fans, he was looking ahead with anticipation, with a new general manager and a new coach. Season-ticket sales had surged when he signed and the crowds remained strong through two brutal seasons. It was time to turn this thing around. For everyone.
He's gone?
I imagine there were thousands of families like ours who woke to the news, lost their bearings and broke down — or lashed out — Friday morning. Hundreds of thousands of people. It is one of the curses of life: Unless you're George Bailey in "It's a Wonderful Life," you cannot know how many people you've touched during your time on earth. Gaudreau had 31 years and 16 days, and he will never know how many lives he touched with his skates, his stick, his shot and his smile. The number is in the millions.
I did not know the man at all, really, but I will remember of him for his unassuming nature, his quiet affability and his unwavering decency. He was a credit to his parents.
RIP, Johnny and Matthew.
And Godspeed to John Davidson, the team's former president of hockey operations, to Don Waddell, the new president/general manager, and to Dean Evason, the new coach. These gentlemen have seen a lot over their long careers. It is their time, in this place, to be among those who lead the healing, if such a thing is possible.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: A sad farewell Johnny Gaudreau, a hockey star and genuine family man
