Johnny Gaudreau’s wife, Meredith: ‘Thank you Calgary’

By Wes Gilbertson

Johnny Gaudreau’s grieving wife, Meredith, is feeling the love from Calgary.

She recently shared an image on Instagram of the memorial on the staircase outside the Saddledome, where Johnny had filled the seats — and the stat sheet — during his nine-season stint with the Calgary Flames. The star hockey player was killed Aug. 29th, along with his younger brother, Matthew, when both were struck by a suspected drunk driver while riding bicycles in Salem County, N.J.

“Thank you Calgary,” Meredith wrote, adding a heart emoji before continuing, “this is amazing. But I’m not surprised. The best people ever.”

Ever since news of the tragedy, fans have flocked to the Saddledome to pay their respects to Johnny — at 31, he was still in the prime of his NHL career with the Columbus Blue Jackets and he leaves behind two young children — and to Matthew, who was 29.

The mourners have dropped off flowers, hockey sticks, homemade posters and condolence cards, and packages of Skittles, the sweet treat that Guy Gaudreau famously used to teach his eldest son to skate. One of the candy bags includes a handwritten message to Johnny: “Thanks for representing Calgary so well!” Nearby, a young fan left a pair of tyke-sized hockey gloves marked with “#13, My HERO.”

The memorial also features jerseys, hats, photos and countless bottles of purple Gatorade, the preferred drink of a fun-to-watch forward trio that featured Johnny and his close pals Sean Monahan and Elias Lindholm. That was, for a stretch, the Flames’ top line.

There are also dozens of tear-jerking messages scrawled in sidewalk chalk.

There was a steady stream of fans — and tears — outside the Saddledome throughout the Labour Day long weekend. Several former teammates stopped by, with Flames goaltender Dustin Wolf sharing a photo on his own Instagram account.

“I know there are no words that I can provide that will alleviate the suffering of losing both Johnny and Matthew,” Flames general manager Craig Conroy wrote in a heartfelt letter released by the team. “There isn’t a magic spell that will make us all feel better. But there is love that we can continue to share with the Gaudreaus that will play a part in helping them heal.

“The outpouring of social affection over the past 24 hours, helps. The organic vigil on the steps of the Saddledome, helps. And just as the Gaudreaus have shown us, being kind to one another, helps.

“To Johnny’s wife Meredith and children Noa and Lil’ Johnny, Jane and Guy, sisters Katie and Kristen, and Matthew’s wife Madeline, Calgary will continue to be here for you and will always welcome you with open arms and hearts.”

There’s no doubt the Flames will eventually announce a formal honour to Johnny Gaudreau, who racked up 210 goals and 609 points in 602 regular-season outings in Calgary’s colours, and also scored a series-winning overtime goal in the first round of the 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs. Be patient, as team staff will want to wait until an appropriate time to discuss potential tributes with this heartbroken family.

A popular possibility is to raise his No. 13 jersey to the rafters, while one fan suggested on social media that when Scotia Place is completed, a portion of 13th Avenue S.W. near the new arena could become Gaudreau Way.

Whatever sort of gesture might be in the works, many have been circling back to a thank-you letter Johnny published via The Players Tribune after choosing to sign with the Blue Jackets as a free agent in the summer of 2022. He stressed that he “cherished” his time in the Stampede City, describing it as “a special place with great people.”

“I hope the people of Calgary can remember me not only as a hockey player, but also as a good person with good values,” he wrote. “Thank you for supporting me over these years, and for making my family a part of yours. I feel so grateful to have been brought up in the Calgary Flames Organization.”

A who’s-who of superstar athletes — from LeBron James of the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers to Jalen Hurts of the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles and many of the NHL’s top talents — have shared remembrances of the Gaudreaus, and that continued Monday with an Instagram post from hockey legend Jaromir Jagr.

Now 52 and still playing pro in Czechia, Jagr scored his final NHL goal on behalf of the Flames in 2017, with Johnny doing the dishing on that two-on-one rush. Jagr’s online tribute included a replay of that tally.

“I honestly never thought I’d write a text like this to a post,” Jagr wrote, according to a translation. “Yes, that was my last NHL goal. Yes, that was a pretty nice goal. Yes, it was a beautiful pass above all. Unfortunately, life can sometimes be incredibly cruel. Thank you Johnny Gaudreau for being there and giving hope to all the guys with your incredible performances, that though they are not the biggest and toughest, they can succeed at the NHL world class just like you did. My condolences to the whole family. RIP to you and your brother.”

(This article was originally published in the Calgary Herald newspaper and has been shared here with permission).