red devil
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- Oct 14, 2004
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In Memoriam Johnny Gaudreau & Matthew Gaudreau killed by drunk driver while cycling (MOD WARNING. No Flaming, Trolling, or Politics.)
- Thread starter Koivu11
- Start date
- Aug 24, 2011
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Wow Jagr's last goal was on an assist from Gaudreau? That's amazing.
Weztex
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- Feb 6, 2006
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We can all agree that Johnny and Matthew's deaths are absolutely tragic. But Masterton was a guy who spent a decade trying to make the NHL, finally got there and died at 29 years old 38 games into the season from the only on-ice lethal injury in the league's history.
Acknowledging a tragedy by undermining another is not the way to go. If the NHL wants to honor him, letting the initial shock and emotions settle before discussing options is the sensible thing to do.
Kane One
Registered User
That would be the ultimate disrespect to Bill Masterton and his family.
mk80
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- Jul 30, 2012
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I would be more inclined to go along the lines of this idea and create a collegiate hockey award in Gaudreau's memory rather than renaming the Masterton trophy.
Reality Czech
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- Apr 17, 2017
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I like the idea but call it simply the Gaudreau award so it can represent both brothers.
What about an award for best undersized player? Give it to the best player who's in the bottom 10 percent in the league in height and weight, as Johnny Hockey always was. You could award it retroactively too, give Theo Fleury and Marty St Louis some more awards.
Freaky Styley
Registered User
lol it's not about undermining a tragedy or disrespect. Man people are SO reactive these days to any comment.
It's about modernizing NHL trophies while honoring Johnny. How many hockey fans these days even know who Masteron is or his story? The name means very little to the modern hockey fan or kids following the sport.
There's nothing to say you can't rename the trophy AND also continue to honour Masterton with an installation in the HHOF or something along those lines. Or a scholarship opportunity of some sort. As another poster mentioned you can also create something new for Johnny.. it was just a thought
I'd much rather teach kids about the past than 'modernize' trophies.
JurassicTunga
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- Mar 21, 2010
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Freaky Styley
Registered User
The NHL has evolved into a 32 team league from a 6 or 15 team league from when most of the trophies have been established/players they've been named after. It's a totally different animal now.
Don't think there's anything wrong with the Trophy names evolving with the sport. Maybe 'retire' certain names and keep that record and rename every trophy 50 years or so. Otherwise there's a limited way of honoring any 'newer' players that have had greater impacts on the sport than many of the names they are using
Weztex
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- Feb 6, 2006
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I do. Why? Because he has a trophy named after him so that got me curious to look him up. If some fans suck at hockey history that's their problem, not the trophies name's. They have access to information just like I had.
That's the TikTok approach. Naming something after someone is meant to keep his/her memory alive, not to celebrate again individuals the current kids relate to. There's nothing to gain in 'retiring' names to pander to uninformed fans. You lose a sense of history AND don't get people who weren't interested in learning about it to care more. Lose-lose.
The idea of a new scolarship or NCAA trophy to honor Gaudreau is interesting. I especially hope the latter gains some traction.
Calgary plays in Columbus November 29. I think both teams should wear a Gaudreau nameplate on their jerseys for that game
Calgary, by no surprise, stepped it up.
That is automatic. They will
exactly. It's like graveyards. I don't know what the law is everywhere, but in Alberta, you can dig them up after 100 years. Change the area
Nah man. This stuff is awesome. He was so gifted and IMO, this is the best way to celebrate his life. I was looking for some clips of that game where he scored by banking the puck off of Vasilevskiy’s back. The Flames were totally snake bitten by that Tampa team, but they won that game. I think Johnny did it twice. Anyway he played an exciting style and that’s how I want to remember him.
Mirka the Turka
Jesus loves you
- Oct 20, 2022
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One of those good memories about Johnny hockey:
I remember I was younger and I saw Gaudreau at the WJC's and I just thought: wow this guy is good. I thought to myself I hope the Devils draft him. Then I saw the experts weigh in and they said that he was too undersized for the NHL. I just thought to myself wow maybe that is the case but how is he dominating the WJC's like that? I only could think to myself yes these "experts" could be right but the team that takes a chance on him could get a great player.
I think nowadays undersized players would easily get picked in the first round. But Johnny hockey was great from a young age. Its amazing how undervalued small players can be despite their immense skill. The fact that it took 4 rounds to select a player that stood out for everyone just because of size shows me how much this guy could overcome.
115 points just 2 years ago. Guy was really amazing.
I remember I was younger and I saw Gaudreau at the WJC's and I just thought: wow this guy is good. I thought to myself I hope the Devils draft him. Then I saw the experts weigh in and they said that he was too undersized for the NHL. I just thought to myself wow maybe that is the case but how is he dominating the WJC's like that? I only could think to myself yes these "experts" could be right but the team that takes a chance on him could get a great player.
I think nowadays undersized players would easily get picked in the first round. But Johnny hockey was great from a young age. Its amazing how undervalued small players can be despite their immense skill. The fact that it took 4 rounds to select a player that stood out for everyone just because of size shows me how much this guy could overcome.
115 points just 2 years ago. Guy was really amazing.
Honour Over Glory
Sully-Quinn: Idiots Squared
- Jan 30, 2012
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One of the first things you're told when you buy a home is to do your life insurance, most go and do it. I did one a very long time ago and updated it when I got married and then again when I bought more property. I think athletes especially do it as it's recommended by their agents these days as it's quite normal anytime you're looking at real assets that would need to be divided or anything like that. The worst part is figuring out who to make your Executor(s) and what not. It's a normal part of life. Odd so many don't realize it needs to be done. I've basically had it sorted since I was 29 and have updated it several times over - normal as well.
way way way too soon to be discussing how to memorialize the man
It's a terrible tragedy. But I can think of at least two hockey-related incidents that were at least as tragic:
* the 2018 Humboldt Broncos' bus being crashed into, killing 16 and injuring 13. Many of the deaths and injuries were junior hockey players
* the 2011 plane crash that killed almost the entire PLAYING roster and coaching staff of KHL team Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (including at least 8 former NHLers)
And it occurs to me that Columbus has had at least 3 tragic death-related incidents:
* the 2002 death of 13-year-old Brittanie Cecil after bring struck in the temple by a puck deflected into the stands (the only fan fatality in NHL history)
* the 2021 death of goalie Matīss Kivlenieks in a fireworks accident
* the deaths of Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew
I think this team has suffered more than ts share of tragedy in its short 24 year history and there are hockey gods out there somewhere, they definitely owe this team some good fortune.
RIP Johnny and Matthew
They are honoring Bill Masterton - with a trophy. And it should stay that way. Bill's impact to the league isn't because of some trophy, but because of his death, more players started wearing helmets and the stigma of wearing one was going away. His death paved the way.
I love Johnny but his death hasn't transformed the league on that level. It has, however, transformed how some of us look at life and death, I know I'm one of them.
Take a moment and tell someone how much they mean to you or how much you appreciate them because you never know when they might go. Bill, Johnny, his brother Matthew and countless others had that chance stolen from them, you and I have that. Use it wisely
Crosby2010
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- Mar 4, 2023
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I think you can have both, you can feel the Gaudreau incident is a horrible tragedy and also still think Masterton deserves to have the trophy still named after him. If you want to find a for sure way for kids to never know who Masterton was, then you can take the name of the trophy away from him. That is a sure way to start erasing hockey history.
Look, the Conn Smythe, Norris, Adams, Hart, Byng, Art Ross, Vezina, Calder, Selke and even the Stanley Cup are rooted in very important and pivotal names in hockey history. Not to mention the Richard trophy. We can talk about owners being cheapskates back in the original 6 days, and they were, but it is also true they helped build the game. How can you talk about Maple Leafs history without Conn Smythe? Or Habs history without Frank Selke or Rocket Richard? It is important to preserve this sort of thing. Or else you are sure to lose it.
Columbus was already gonna have a rough year even with JH13, but now I think most people including myself are rooting for them to win the draft lottery and to get themselves Hagens. In fact I wouldn't even be mad if Bettman rigged it in their favor by giving them an extra ball or two. If anyone deserves it it's them.
OrrNumber4
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- Jul 25, 2002
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Would there be any opposition to making it the Masteron-Gaudreau trophy? Or awarding a trophy to the "2nd place" winner?
Honour Over Glory
Sully-Quinn: Idiots Squared
- Jan 30, 2012
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Cecil should have never been allowed to leave the hospital and that was a major error on the Hospital's part. A 13yr old has a skull fracture, gash on her head, and seizures, but feels slightly better so they let her go home? No, you keep someone that young over night and monitor it. Because the CT scan missed what eventually killed the poor child.
The deflection that hit her did injure her, but that Hospital f***ed up royally.
