The whole NHL community stood still on August 29th as tragic news that Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau tragically lost their lives after being hit by a drunk driver while on a bike ride.
Johnny wasn’t just a spectacular hockey player. He was also a brother, dad, husband, friend, and an inspiration to millions of kids worldwide. Johnny was especially an inspiration to kids in America when over 50% of the NHL was Canadian. Johnny gave kids in America hope that they don’t have to be Canadian to dominate in the NHL. Johnny helped the United States be competitive on the worldwide stage by assisting the USA in claiming gold in the World Juniors in 2013 with seven goals and two assists in seven games. He also received bronze in the 2018 IIHF men’s world championship, where he recorded a goal and seven assists in 10 outings.
The Whole NHL community has found ways to honor such iconic legends in many ways. EA Sports made a memorial for Johnny and Matthew and put it on the loading screen of NHL 24. Cole Caufield, a right winger from the Montreal Canadiens, plans to switch his number to 13 in honor of Johnny. Many players have also donated to a GoFundMe that has reached 645,000 dollars, which will help Mathew’s wife who’s pregnant with their first child. Several memorials have also appeared across the USA and Canada, fans have brought jerseys, flowers, and hockey sticks to honor Johnny and Matthew.
Please don’t drink and drive; call an Uber, walk home, or have someone else drive because your actions can have disastrous consequences.
The NHL will never forget the names Johnny and Matthew Hockey and how they impacted people. RIP Matthew and Johnny Hockey. Johnny, thank you for filling my childhood with joyous and sparkling moments.
