Johnny Gaudreau’s death has left a massive hole in the Columbus Blue Jackets.
“What happened with John and Matt, it’s not something that’s going to go away or we’re magically going to stop thinking about,” team captain Boone Jenner told NHL.com in an interview published Wednesday, September 18. “It’s going to be with us, and it’s just kind of realizing that new reality for us as a group, as a team.”
Jenner, 31, added, “It’s not like we’re trying to park it and, ‘OK, now it’s the season.’ Those emotions are going to be there for a long, long time.”
Johnny, a forward for the Blue Jackets, and his brother, Matthew Gaudreau, were struck and killed in a car accident last month. Johnny and Matthew were 31 and 29, respectively.
The Gaudreau brothers are survived by their parents, their two sisters and their respective wives and children. Johnny and wife Meredith, who is currently pregnant with baby No. 3, shared daughter Noa and infant son Johnny. Matthew, meanwhile, was expecting his first baby with wife Madeline.
Members of the Blue Jackets attended Johnny and Matthew’s funeral earlier this month and have already realized how difficult it is to return to the rink for the start of the season.
“One of the questions we’ve kind of asked ourselves is, ‘What would John want us to do in certain situations?’” defenseman Zach Werenski told the outlet on Wednesday. “He’d want us to enjoy coming to the rink and being around our teammates and being together.”
Jenner echoed his teammate’s sentiment.
“[He’d want us] just to play hockey, and he loved every second of every time he was in the rink, at practices, games, sharing time with the guys,” Jenner said. “We try to enjoy each other through the good times but especially through the bad times. The last few weeks, it seems like when we get on the ice [for captain’s practices] and just go be ourselves out there and have a good time, push each other, work hard, get ready for camp but also just enjoy being out there, it’s been helping us as we prepare for the season.”
The team will continue to honor Johnny’s legacy throughout the upcoming season, displaying a memorial inside Nationwide Arena and leaving his locker as is. A No. 13 jersey (Johnny’s number) will also be packed for every away game.
“He’s going to be with us,” coach Dean Evason said on Wednesday. “He’s going to be a presence in our locker room at home and on the road.”
The Blue Jackets kick off their preseason with a game against the Buffalo Sabres on Monday, September 23. Every team member will wear a “Gaudreau” sticker with two doves, a No. 13 and a No. 21 (Matthew’s number when he played hockey for Boston College) on their helmets and add a No. 13 patch to their jerseys.
