At the opening of the season, the NHL held a somber tribute to the recently deceased NHL player, Johnny Gaudreau, and his brother Matthew Gaudreau.
Johnny Gaudreau, 31, and his brother Matthew, 29, were tragically killed after being hit by a vehicle while cycling in Oldmans Township, New Jersey, just one day before their sister Katie's wedding. Now, just over a month after this terrible tragedy, the NHL held an opening tribute.
Read more: Fans Share Their Favorite Heartwarming Johnny Gaudreau Memories After The NHL Pro Was Killed At 31
The moment of reflection was shared by team writer Amanda Stein on Twitter. In sharing a picture of the tribute on her socials, Stein captioned her tweet, "A somber moment to start off this NHL regular season with a moment to honor the lives of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau." The picture shows both teams standing on the rink. The rink is dark. On the overhead screens, pictures of Johnny were being projected.
Shortly after the tragedy took place, Johnny's team, the Columbus Blue Jays, shared a post remembering Johnny. Stein shared this August 30th text post as well. She captioned this, "Absolutely devastating. No words at all. Just an unbelievable tragedy. May Johnny and Matthew's memory forever be a blessing to all who knew and loved them."
The statement made on Twitter by the team read, "The Columbus Blue Jackets are shocked and devastated by this unimaginable tragedy. Johnny was not only a great hockey player, but more significantly a loving husband, father, son, brother, and friend. We extend our heartfelt sympathies to his wife, Meredith, his children, Noa and Johnny, his parents, their family, and friends on the sudden loss of Johnny and Matthew."
The post went on to speak to the incredible talent with which Johnny played hockey and the positive spirit he brought to every game. "Johnny played the game with great joy which was felt by everyone that saw him on the ice. He brought a genuine love for hockey with him everywhere he played from Boston College to the Calgary Flames to Team USA to the Blue Jackets."
Even off of the ice, he is remembered as an incredibly kind friend. "Johnny embraced our community when he arrived two years ago, and Columbus welcomed him with open arms. We will miss him terribly and do everything that we cna to support his family and each other through this tragedy."
Originally published by Enstarz.
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