Blue Jackets honor late star Johnny Gaudreau with emotional tributes in home opener, including 13-second runoff

Sports possess a special power to unite. Championships bring cities together, but fans also bond over crumbled dynasties.

Another unfortunate reality that also serves as a mode of universal connection is loss. For the NHL and Blue Jackets fans in particular, this became all too relevant in August, less than two months away from the 2024-25 season.

Johnny Gaudreau, who spent 11 seasons in the league and two in Columbus, was struck and killed by a car while riding a bicycle in August. His brother Matthew, with whom he played at Boston College, also died in the traffic accident.

While Johnny Gaudreau was not in attendance at the Blue Jackets' home opener Tuesday against the Panthers, his spirit was alive and well at Nationwide Arena in Columbus. Here's everything to know about the Blue Jackets' tribute to the late NHL star.

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Blue Jackets honor Johnny Gaudreau at home opener

Before the puck was dropped Tuesday, the Blue Jackets held a tribute to Gaudreau on the ice. The team also posted a heartfelt video in memory of the star, featuring interview clips with Gaudreau and old videos from his childhood start in the sport. 

During the memorial, with the ice glowing a bright blue, the Blue Jackets raised a white banner with Gaudreau's name across the top and the years of his birth and death. Underneath was his No. 13 and the Columbus logo.

On the concourse inside Nationwide Arena, there is also a display to honor both of the Gaudreau brothers. In glass cases are both of their jerseys, Matthew's from Boston College and Johnny's from his NHL career. Among the uniforms are also hockey sticks, signed posters and other items fans would associate with the pair. 

It wasn't just the Blue Jackets who honored their fallen brother. Florida players entered the arena with purple Gatorade and Skittles in hand, a reference to Johnny's go-to treats and an idea credited to Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk. The candy also has a special meaning for Johnny, who wrote in The Players' Tribune in 2016 that his father used Skittles to coax him out onto the ice when he was learning to skate.

Finally, after the opening whistle, both teams united to allow a 13-second runoff before play began, another tribute to Johnny's number to open the 2024 season. Columbus 

Reactions to Johnny Gaudreau tribute

Reactions to the Blue Jackets' emotional Gaudreau tribute poured in, both in person and online.

Johnny Gaudreau NHL career