NHL honours Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau in emotional Stadium Series tribute

Nicole Kraft · The Associated Press

· Posted: Mar 02, 2025 1:39 PM EST | Last Updated: March 2

The Stadium Series crippled betwixt the Columbus Blue Jackets and Detroit Red Wings connected Saturday promised to person it all: a assemblage of much than 90,000 — the 2nd largest successful NHL past — and an electrical ambiance wrong the iconic Ohio Stadium.

The NHL besides ensured a cardinal fig was beforehand and centre.

Columbus is mourning the decease of Johnny Gaudreau, the NHL prima known arsenic "Johnny Hockey," and his younger brother, Matthew, who were struck and killed portion riding bicycles adjacent their New Jersey location Aug. 29, 1 time earlier their sister's wedding.

The NHL made it a precedence to honour the Gaudreaus during the Blue Jackets' archetypal outdoor hockey experience.

The Blue Jackets entered the arena successful what squad skipper Boone Jenner called "Signature Johnny fit," wearing matching sweatshirts from Avalon Surf Shop, emulating Gaudreau's ritual of representing businesses from his New Jersey home. The Red Wings donned No. 13 Gaudreau jerseys from crossed his career, including Team USA and the Boston College Eagles.

The Gaudreaus' mother, Jane, led the squad into the stadium with Johnny's widow, Meredith, and their young children, Noa and Johnny, wearing Gaudreau Stadium Series bomber jackets. It was a almighty reflection of the close-knit squad household that has been forged.

"We wanted to person that infinitesimal and get radical talking astir them again, and ne'er forgetting," said Steve Mayer, NHL president of contented and events.

Johnny Gaudreau's bequest was besides felt passim the game. His jersey was displayed successful the Blue Jackets' dressing room, arsenic it has been each season, and his representation appeared connected the recently painted helmet of starting goalie Elvis Merzlikins.

"Johnny is inactive teaching america truthful galore ways," Blue Jackets caput manager Dean Evason said. "We speech astir him a lot. There's conscionable truthful galore ways that Johnny has inspired us.

"He's perpetually with us. He's successful our dressing room. His jersey's determination each night, not conscionable crippled nights. He's with america each the time."

WATCH l Gaudreau household joins ceremonial puck driblet astatine Flames game:

Mayer said the NHL began discussions soon aft the Gaudreaus' deaths astir however champion to memorialize the brothers astatine this historical event.

"We wanted to observe Johnny's beingness alternatively than simply person a infinitesimal of silence," Mayer said. "This is simply a large woody for Columbus, and we wanted it to beryllium subtle but powerful."

His teammates recognized the Blue Jackets occurrence — which has them successful playoff contention for the archetypal clip since 2020 — and quality successful the Stadium Series would person been a imagination for Gaudreau, whose emotion of the crippled and the players with whom helium shared a azygous has shaped everyone successful the Blue Jackets dressing room.

"What you're seeing is the large interaction that they had," centre Sean Kuraly said of the brothers. "We are carrying connected the things that we learned from them and that they'd privation america to transportation connected — to emotion the crippled and each different and clasp each experience."

The Stadium Series game, which was broadcast successful 191 countries, marked a poignant infinitesimal for the Blue Jackets and their fans. Columbus is 1 of the past NHL teams to beryllium included successful an outdoor game.

"We're going to play for [Johnny] similar we person each year," Jenner said earlier the game, "and honour him the champion mode we can."

In a connection released done the Blue Jackets, Meredith Gaudreau thanked the teams and league for honouring her precocious hubby successful truthful galore ways astatine the event.

"The management, players, wives and fans from some organizations made my household consciousness truthful loved and supported," she said. "Thank you astir of each for including our children by making them a large portion of each the events passim the weekend. I cognize John genuinely appreciates it arsenic overmuch arsenic I do."