Blue Jackets honor Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau during emotional home opener
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- It’s been 47 long days since the hockey world learned of the tragic passing of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau after the brothers were hit and killed bicycling on a rural road near their home in Oldmans Township, New Jersey. The details of their death have been well documented but one thing many fans wondered is what the life would look like on the ice following the passing of Johnny Gaudreau.
The Columbus Blue Jackets and its fans got an idea of what the future holds on Tuesday evening as the team welcomed 18,484 fans inside the friendly confines of Nationwide Arena. Fans were greeted by CBJ employees who passed out commemorative patches that showcased the famous number 13 made famous by Gaudreau.
Coming up the elevator and looking to the right fans saw artifacts from the makeshift memorial that was erected outside of Nationwide Arena just after the tragedy as fans looked for anyway to pay tribute. The team relocated the memorial indoors to preserve the integrity of the artifacts and to make sure they would live on for as long as possible.
Making the way into the Blue Line, the official team store, there was products available for purchase with 100% of the proceeds benefitting the John and Matthew Gaudreau Foundation. Hockey pucks, t-shirts, lapel pins, and mystery pucks were some of the items available.
Fans were encouraged to arrive in their seats early as both the Florida Panthers and Columbus Blue Jackets emerged from the locker rooms wearing jerseys with the Gaudreau's #13 in their respective colors. Following the warmup a short program played on the video board before the teams reemerged and flanked Gaudreau's family on the ice.
Meredith, Johnny's widow, walked out to the ice through a tunnel formed by Panther and Blue Jacket players. She was greeted by Johnny's good friend and current CBJ player Sean Monahan. The duo watched as Johnny's No.13 was raised into the rafters to live forever inside Nationwide Arena.
More to come on this later, that's not the last mention of Monahan and the banner.
Following the outpouring of emotion, both teams had a hockey game to play.
The teams came out for the opening face-off but with one noticeable difference. The Jackets lined up without a left winger, as the team left room for Johnny in the position that he would occupy. The scorekeeper also ran the clock down 13 seconds, a beautiful tribute. The sellout crowd chanting "Johnny Hockey" as the CBJ made a line change and got its scheduled starters ready to play in the contest.
With all that emotion inside of the building, the hockey game began. Both Florida and Columbus began the first period by feeling out one another with neither side scoring.
The two teams combined for five goals in the second period as Cole Sillinger got the scoring started as he received a long-lead pass from Kent Johnson in the defensive zone. Sillinger took the puck and scored on a breakaway as the CBJ claimed a 1-0 lead off the shorthanded goal just 41 seconds into the second period.
Florida tied the game at 1-1 a side before some incredible scenes played out in the Arena District.
Blue Jackets winger Yegor Chinakhov approached the Panthers net from the right side, taking a shot but losing the puck in the process. The biscuit fell to Sean Monahan who took a shot which was saved by Florida goalie Spencer Martin, but he coughed up a rebound. Monahan got a hold of the loose puck and stuffed it into the back of the net to recapture the lead. As he celebrated, he looked to the rafters and pointed to the new banner paying homage to his friend that encouraged him to come to Columbus and play.
The good times didn't last long as Florida answered 37 seconds later to tie the game at 2-2. The Panthers went on to score three unanswered goals in total before James van Riemsdyk tallied a late goal to get it to 4-3, but despite heavy pressure from the CBJ the hosts couldn't draw even and fell by one goal.
An emotional evening
It's no secret that this contest was going to be incredibly emotional. The team, fans, and all in attendance began a pivotal first step in writing their story for the 2024-25 season. It's going to be an interesting book that has incredible potential for those involved.
FIGHT
One can look at the scoreline and think that the Blue Jackets lost another game but that doesn't tell the entire scope of the game. This team is different. It's evident in how head coach Dean Evason is doing business. The CBJ possesses a grit and tenacity that wasn't present under the previous regime.
Early returns indicate that 2024-25 could be a banner year for Cole Sillinger and Kent Johnson. The duo demonstrated great passing and unlocked several key scoring opportunities for their teammates. It's only a matter of time until that effort yields dividends.
My thoughts...
A player that got my attention on Tuesday was Zach Aston-Reese. The former Vegas Golden Knight contributed on the forecheck and the back check and even put his body on the line to lay on the ice and shot block in the third game of the season, a practice traditionally reserved for the playoffs. If you have that type of buy in for players this early in the season and this early in the Evason tenure, one must believe good things are ahead.