Johnny Gaudreau will forever be remembered as Johnny Hockey, a little kid who became a big star, a small forward who left a big legacy with his skills and character.
He was 167 cm when the Calgary Flames selected him in the fourth round (No. 104) of the 2011 draft. He was the smallest of the 211 players selected that year. His coach — Jim Montgomery, then in Dubuque of the USHL, now with the Boston Bruins — said after the draft that it was a bold pick.
“My mom was sitting in the stands behind two older guys who thought they knew a lot about hockey,” Gaudreau said at the time. “They said, ‘Oh, look at that little guy! He will never succeed! And my mom got really upset.”
He hasn’t grown that much over the years. Yet look at what he did and how he did it – with intelligence, vision, creativity and joy.
Gaudreau won USHL Rookie of the Year and helped Dubuque win the Clark Cup in the 2010/11 season. The following season, he was the NCAA freshman leader with 44 points in 44 games, was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player, and helped Boston College win the title.
Gaudreau also led the 2013 World Junior Championships in scoring (seven in seven games) to help the United States win gold, while also leading the NCAA in points per game (1.45), helping Boston College win again.
He returned to Boston College the following year instead of turning pro. One of the main reasons was so he could play with brother Matthew.
Gaudreau won the Hobey Baker Award as the NCAA Player of the Year after leading the scoring in goals (36), assists (44) and points (80) in 40 games, and subsequently signed with Calgary. Two days later, he made his NHL debut and scored on his first shot.
In 2014/15, with 64 points in 80 games, he became a finalist for the Calder Trophy, which is awarded to the rookie of the year in the NHL. Two years later, he won the Lady Byng Trophy, which is awarded to the player who has demonstrated the best sportsmanship, gentlemanly conduct and played the best. In 72 duels, he collected 61 points, receiving only four penalty minutes.
By that time he was already a big star in the NHL. And also a fighter who went down in history.
He is fifth in Flames history in assists (399) and points (609). He shocked the hockey world when he signed a free agent contract with the Blue Jackets on July 13, 2022. One of the main reasons was family.
He and his wife, Meredith, grew up in the Philadelphia area and were expecting a child. They would be separated from their future grandparents by an hour by plane and six and a half hours by car. Two children were born to them in Columbus – daughter Noa and son Johnny. The way the story turned out is a real tragedy.
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