One Year: Remembering Johnny Gaudreau On The Anniversary Of His Death

By Will Chase on August 28, 2025 at 8:15 am
Columbus Blue Jackets center Sean Monahan (23) holds Johnny Gaudreau’s child along side Meredith Gaudreau and family as a banner is raised in honor of Johnny before the home opener at Nationwide Arena.
© Samantha Madar/USA Today Network via Imagn Images
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One year.

One year since the untimely passing of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau on Aug. 29, 2024, in Oldmans Township, New Jersey.

In the days and weeks following the tragedy, the Blue Jackets organization had to gather itself and prepare for a hockey season, with plenty of moments, stories, tributes, and celebrations of the Gaudreau brothers continuing to live on and keep their memories alive.

One such tribute took place after every Blue Jackets victory last season, with the game’s top player, as nominated by his peers, wearing the donkey hat, in honor of Johnny, who liked to call his teammates "a donkey." In seasons prior, the player would don the kepi in relation to the franchise’s civil war theme.

The Blue Jackets wore No. 13 patches on their sweaters throughout the season. Johnny’s No. 13 jersey hung in its stall, whether at home in the Nationwide Arena dressing room or on the road where the team was playing.

A banner that read "Johnny Gaudreau" and "1993-2024" went to the rafters in a ceremony on Oct. 15, 2024, before the Blue Jackets' home opener against the defending Stanley Cup champion Panthers.

Both the Blue Jackets and Panthers wore No. 13 during pregame warmups, and the number was painted on the ice behind each net.

Opening night is usually fueled by anticipation of a brand new season and excitement of a new year for both the fan base and the team.

Now the emotions were filled with bittersweetness because of a large void, a husband, a father, a hockey player taken far too soon.

Traditional opening night festivities were moved to the second home game on the schedule as the organization honored the Gaudreaus on the 15th, featuring his widow, Meredith, and their children.

Columbus lined up for the opening face-off without anyone at left wing, Johnny’s position. Once the puck was dropped, both teams let 13 seconds tick off the clock, and the puck slid right to the vacant left wing spot where Gaudreau would typically be on the ice. Two of Gaudreau’s former teammates from Calgary are on the Panthers roster. Matthew Tkachuk and Sam Bennett, who corralled the puck.

The game went down as a 4-3 loss in the standings, but it was more than hockey on this night.

Johnny’s close personal friend, Sean Monahan, scored the go-ahead goal to give the Jackets a 2-1 lead in the second period and immediately pointed to the Gaudreau banner.

Monahan and Gaudreau were teammates in Calgary and were excited to be reunited in Columbus, to play together, but also to raise their families together. Signed to a five-year free agent contract, Monahan was the consummate professional on and off the ice. An injury cut into his season, but he put up impressive numbers, with 57 points (19 goals, 38 assists) in 54 games and was the winner of the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, “given to the player who best exemplifies perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to ice hockey.”

Johnny spent the first nine seasons of his career with the Flames. When both the Jackets and Flames met in Calgary on Dec. 3, everyone came together to honor a fallen teammate, and each team wore No. 13 jerseys on the ice for pregame warmups.

There were league-wide tributes and acknowledgements in many arenas across the league.

In the much-anticipated Stadium Series outdoor game at Ohio Stadium on Mar. 1, the Blue Jackets beat the Red Wings 5-3. The Gaudreaus led the Blue Jackets out of the tunnel and onto the ice ahead of the game. In the postgame press conference, head coach Dean Evason acknowledged how fantastic the experience was and how special the moment was because of Johnny.

In a lighthearted moment at 1:50, Evason said Johnny was messing with Boone Jenner's missed shots during the game. 

Guy Gaudreau, the father of Johnny and Matthew, was a frequent guest of Evason and Flyers head coach John Tortorella to assist the respective teams during practice.

At the NHL draft in June, Meredith helped introduce the Blue Jackets' draft picks.

Beyond what Johnny did on the ice as a hockey player, he did even more off the ice through various charitable actions.

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