Blue Jackets honor Johnny Gaudreau, Matthew Gaudreau with emotional tribute in home-opener against Panthers

On an emotional Tuesday night at Nationwide Arena, the Columbus Blue Jackets honored Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau ahead of their home-opener against the Florida Panthers. Both teams participated in heartfelt tributes to the late Blue Jackets star and his brother throughout the night.

Back in August, the Gaudreau brothers died after being struck by a vehicle in New Jersey. They were riding bicycles near their family home when a car veered onto the right shoulder of the road and hit them.

Just two years earlier, Johnny Gaudreau signed a seven-year contract with the Blue Jackets, becoming the biggest free agent acquisition in franchise history. In his two seasons with the team, Gaudreau quickly became a teammate and fan favorite while tallying 33 goals and 101 assists in 161 games.

In the wake of Gaudreau’s death, the Blue Jackets’ home-opener served as a memorial and a celebration of life. Both teams went the extra mile to honor the memories of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau.

Panthers pay respects to Gaudreau

The tributes got started long before the opening puck drop. According to Panthers rinkside reporter Katie Engelson, each member of the team brought a purple Gatorade and Skittles in honor of Gaudreau’s favorite snacks. The idea was suggested by Matthew Tkachuk, one of Gaudreau’s best friends in the NHL.

Tkachuk and Gaudreau played together in Calgary from 2016 to 2022, and the pair of American-born stars formed a tight bond. Tkachuk didn’t travel with the Panthers due to an illness, but he did release a statement on Gaudreau before the game.

Blue Jackets memorialize Gaudreau brothers pregame

In the lead-up to the game, Columbus unveiled its memorial to the Gaudreau brothers inside the arena. The memorial includes replica lockers for Johnny and Matthew, game-worn equipment and things from the fan memorial outside the arena. It will be on display for fans to view throughout the entire 2024-25 season.

Players on both teams wear special warm-up jerseys

When the Blue Jackets and Panthers took the ice for warm-ups, every player wore Johnny Gaudreau’s No. 13. Those speciality jerseys were then auctioned off to raise money for the Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau Foundation.

Jackets honor Johnny Gaudreau with emotional ceremony

In the final minutes before puck drop, the Blue Jackets honored Johnny with a pregame video that paid tribute to his life on and off the ice. The video went through Gaudreau’s childhood, his love of hockey, his family and his career in Calgary and Columbus. It ended with a quote from Gaudreau about how he wanted to be remembered when his career was over.

“I think when it’s all said and done, I want to be remembered as a guy who wanted to be around the rink, around his friends, around his family,” Gaudreau said. “I could probably go on and on with the list, but just being a hockey guy a guess.”

Following the video, Gaudreau’s family was invited onto the ice to watch as Gaudreau’s No. 13 was lifted to the rafters. As the banner made its way upward, the fans in Nationwide Arena broke out into a “Johnny Hockey” chant.

As Gaudreau’s family made their way off the ice, a video message from Johnny’s wife, Meredith, played on the Jumbotron. She thanked the Columbus fan base for all its support and encouraged them to “love the game that John loved.”

On the opening puck drop, the Blue Jackets came out with just four skaters, leaving Gaudreau’s left wing open. Columbus center Sean Monahan, a longtime friend of Gaudreau’s, took the opening draw and pushed the puck to the vacant spot. The teams let 13 seconds roll off the clock while the crowd chanted “Love you, Johnny.”