In Memoriam Johnny Gaudreau & Matthew Gaudreau killed by drunk driver while cycling (MOD WARNING. No Flaming, Trolling, or Politics.)

[PaulD]

Pelle lindburgh

Died few months after going to the stanley cup finals and winning the veznia, he was 26. Alcohol involved as well....

Yes. Summer of 85.

Hilarious to see people say Gaudreau isn't an inspiration to undersized players and show their age by listing dudes from the 2000s and before. We've already seen players like Caufield and Zegras show how much Gaudreau inspired them, and I bet a bunch of 8 year olds in Calgary and Columbus were more excited to watch Gaudreau come into the league over a 40 year old Marty St. Louis.

Yup. And Kane inspired Goudreau.
Poor family.

 

[Lunatik]

Putting this into words has been extremely difficult and has come in waves.

As a Flames fan, we watched Johnny grow up from a scrawny 18 year old that had a diet of ham and cheese sandwiches and mountain dew, to a grown man with is own family... we never met him, or talked to him, but it felt like we knew him... so it's this extremely weird grieving feeling for a man we never really knew... but I couldn't put my finger on why this hurt so much more than other celebrity deaths...

then the lightbulb went off...

if you are at all like me... this (hockey) is your safe space... it's your escape from the hardships of life we may argue and be assholes to each other, but we all have one thing in common, we f***ing love hockey and t is one of our vices... this tragedy has burst that bubble, where do we go to escape the pain when this is our safe space? It's a rare time when the brutality of real life has collided with our game and we're struggling to find that safe space the game once provided us.

 

[periferal]

Absolutely. Felt sick to my stomach and heartbroken ever since hearing about this devastating news, like countless others around the world. Forget the fact that Johhny was a very good hockey player.

It is the way his life tragically ended along with his brother thanks to some lunatic who was driving drunk, a day before his sister's wedding day. In addition, you had Johnny's brother expecting a child in a few months. The whole story is beyond tragic and it is completely shocking.

Jesus....

Didn't realize all those other details. I wonder what level of remorse the drunk driver feels (if any). I try to be am empathetic person, but hard to not want the driver to suffer because of the beyond extensive suffering he has/is causing....

 

[Mitts]

Hilarious to see people say Gaudreau isn't an inspiration to undersized players and show their age by listing dudes from the 2000s and before. We've already seen players like Caufield and Zegras show how much Gaudreau inspired them, and I bet a bunch of 8 year olds in Calgary and Columbus were more excited to watch Gaudreau come into the league over a 40 year old Marty St. Louis.

It's incredible how small he actually was, Craig Conroy said he weighed in at 119 lbs when he first arrived in Calgary. 8:15 into video.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

No one fussed about it, no. It is an NHLPA award, so it does make sense that Ted Lindsay would have it named after him. The thing is Masterton literally died on the ice and I don't think you touch that name at all. The Byng is fine the way it is, but as I was mentioning a while back there are tons of names of players you could pick to have it named after them. If Gretzky won it 5 times and they never named it after him then I don't think anyone has a case for it. Gaudreau won it once and we all know this is a horrific tragedy but what is most likely to happen is something like retiring his number regionally on either Calgary or Columbus (or both). I can see that for sure. Shocking to some that Jean Beliveau never won the Byng as he is what the epitome of gentlemanly would be. But even with him he most likely had too many penalty minutes per year to be considered, he surprisingly has almost as many career penalty minutes as games.

Byng is the one I am proposing. Gretzky doesn't exude the kind of class on and off the ice the way Johnny Gaudreau did, let's be f***ing clear about that. I don't care if Whine Gretzky won 90 of the Byng's. I don't give a shit how horned out blokes are over Wayne's stats in his career, Johnny was an exceptional human being even when he wasn't in the spotlight because he generally had the biggest heart and the kindest soul.

 

[Viqsi]

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.

Lottery luck isn't something that happens here.

 

[Fatass]

we'll based on reports... he was upset that he'd be in jail a few days longer because of the long weekend.

It’s these repeated offenders that get to me. I accept we no longer have “frontier” justice but if we did that guy wouldn’t be able to repeat this. As it is now, what’s the likelihood he drives drunk again? This is a tragedy that could have been prevented.

 

[Bacon Artemi Bravo]

Haven't had a 24 hour stretch of dry eyes since last Friday. Johnny Hockey wasn't my favorite player. Surely, he was one of them and I enjoyed him, but from the outside. I'm from New Jersey so there was always that connection and pride but more than anything else this tragedy just seems to hit so close to home, its so unfair, the finer the details you learn the more pain you find. Really just feel such strong empathy for the Gaudreau family. Young kids without a dad. What the f*** man. All so senseless. This shouldn't have happened.

 

[Rubi]

Anybody know when and where the actual funeral service will be held?

 

[SeanMoneyHands]

 

[SeanMoneyHands]

 

[Canadienna]

edit: didn't see the other thread

 

[New User Name]

This thread has become toxic.

There's no doubt Johnny was a great hockey player, a great father, husband, son, brother, teammate and friend.

He came from an extremely supporting family, who were able to give him the resources necessary to chase his dream and there is no doubt he had that inner strength to overcome adversity (size) and accomplish that dream.

Every team has players just like that. Many, without the supporting family Johnny had. We usually don't find out until something horrible happens and then we realize the extra mile that player went for his family, teammates, community.

Yes, the Jackets and Flames should retire his number and possibly introduce an award, trophy, honouring his memory. College hockey could bring in a Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau Memorial Trophy and the USHL could as well.

As for the NHL, I'm not in favour of renaming a current trophy. I would have no problem introducing a new trophy.

The current names are history and tradition.

​

edit: didn't see the other thread

I like what Cole is doing.

 

[SeanMoneyHands]

#99 speaks.

 

[Boris Zubov]

Yes. Summer of 85.

Pelle Lindbergh actually died in November '85, during the season, which put the news front & center in NHL circles. Had he died during the summer, unfortunately back in those days it would've been a blip on the radar here in the States.

 

[Jack Straw]

I’d like to see them rename the road where he died in his honor. “Johnny Gaudreau Memorial Drive”, or something like that. So that no one would forget what happened there.

 

[1specter]

Seeing the posts from Johnny's family gutted me. Even his brother in law to be and his wife's sister made beautiful tributes. Seems like he (and Matthew) had very positive impacts on anyone he met.

 

[SoundwaveIsCharisma]

Watching the Spittin Chiclets episode this week is just so sad, you can see the pain and hear the sadness in these guys voices.

 

[Soundwave]

Pelle lindburgh

Died few months after going to the stanley cup finals and winning the veznia, he was 26. Alcohol involved as well....

Actually looked this up, Lindberg's accident is only about 40 minutes away from where Gaudreau brothers passed. Really sad.

 

[DJN21]

I'm still kind of at a loss for words. Nothing I say will come out right but I look at my wife, and kid and even pets differently because of this. I am so thankful for what I have in an otherwise kinda shitty existence. It can always be worse....and this is it. I can't imagine what that family is going through and I won't pretend to. I'd like to think for that reason I took something positive from this immensely negative situation...I won't take my family for granted again. Cheers to you all and prayers for you and your loved ones.

 

[Jihadi Flames Fan]

Speechless. Unbelievable. My condolences to their family.

RIP Johnny and Matty.

 

[PaulD]

Pelle Lindbergh actually died in November '85, during the season, which put the news front & center in NHL circles. Had he died during the summer, unfortunately back in those days it would've been a blip on the radar here in the States.

Yes, November 85. Tragic.

 

[Toby91ca]

Yes. Summer of 85.

No, it was in the middle of the season or early season anyway…November 1985. He was driving extremely intoxicated as well.

 

[archangel2]

Actually looked this up, Lindberg's accident is only about 40 minutes away from where Gaudreau brothers passed. Really sad.

Flyers played the Oiler the next game at home I think

 

[Breakers]

Does insurance pay out contracts?

Im curious on what wording in contracts is
who was the last player to pass away under contract?

Luc Bourdon