It will be an emotional night at Nationwide Arena as the Columbus Blue Jackets community is still grappling with the deaths of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau ahead of their home opener.
As part of the many tributes to honour the brothers and the indelible impression they made on the hockey world, the Blue Jackets and visiting Florida Panthers will all wear Gaudreau jerseys in their pre-game warmup.
This will be the first game the Blue Jackets have played in their home arena since the tragic Aug. 29 death of the two brothers.
Johnny’s former teammate — and linemate — Matthew Tkachuk, will not be with the Panthers in Columbus due to an illness. He shared a message on social media via the team’s channels.
“Johnny was a huge part of the hockey community but to me, he was so much more than that. A great friend, teammate and family man,” Tkachuk wrote. “Johnny will be my teammate forever.”
Even in Tkachuk’s absence, the Panthers will have a former Flame on the ice. Sam Bennett played in Calgary for seven seasons before he was traded to Florida during the 2020-21 season.
Johnny and Matthew were killed in August when a suspected drunk driver struck them as they rode their bikes in Oldmans Township, N.J.
Since their death, tributes have poured in from across the league. Across pre-season games, most teams took a moment of silence prior to the anthem. At Calgary’s home opener on Saturday, Oct. 12 they showed a four-minute montage of highlights from “Johnny Hockey” while he was wearing the flaming C. League-wide, helmets worn by players will feature a 13 and 21 decal — the numbers worn by Johnny and Matthew, respectively.
In addition to donning Gaudreau jerseys during warm-ups, the Panthers disembarked from their bus at Nationwide Arena holding purple Gatorade and Skittles — two of Gaudreau’s favourite treats.
The Blue Jackets also announced a permanent tribute to Gaudreau at Nationwide Arena, including a replica locker, game-worn jerseys and items from the fan memorial.
The Blue Jackets’ home opener begins at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT.
