Johnny Gaudreau provided 161 games worth of memories to his Columbus teammates and fans.
Normally in this series, we talk about every player who has worn a specific number, what they've done, and where they are. But today, it can only be about one man - Johnny Gaudreau.
This is a short and sweet Johnny Gaudreau Appreciation piece.
As people around the world continue to mourn Johnny and Matthew's passing, the NHL season has started, which has provided a bit of a distraction for fans of the Jackets, and its players. As many Blue Jackets have said, "Johnny would want us to play hockey." So they are.
Johnny Hockey made the people of Columbus very happy in July of 2022. But he also made the people of Calgary happy for nine seasons. Since the tragedy, Blue Jackets and Flames fans have come together as one united fan base, acting as one group of fans who remember Johnny in their own special ways.
Johnny played 602 games for the Calgary Flames, scoring 210 goals and totaling 609 points. His 602 games rank 11th all-time in Flames history, while his 609 points are good enough for 5th in Flames history. His 210 goals are 9th, and his 399 assists are also 5th.
Gaudreau once had six points in a game. On March 12, 2019, against the New Jersey Devils, he scored three goals and had three assists. Those six points are tied for the second most points scored in a single Flames game. In that same game, he also tied a record by recording four points in a single period.
On April 4, 2022, he scored a goal 10 seconds into the game, which was the 5th fastest goal in Flames history. He also owns the Flames record for most OT points in a career, with 28.
Johnny has the 5th most multi-point games in Flames history with 156 and has 33 multi-goal games, which is 10th. He also had 85 multi-assist games.
For Columbus, Johnny wasn't able to set many records as he only played two seasons. But in 2023 he did tie one. On March 14, 2023, against the San Jose Sharks, he scored two goals and totaled five points to tie a franchise record. Five points hadn't been recorded in a single CBJ game since Artemi Panarin did it in 2017.
Johnny also set more records this past summer, when he broke the record for most career points by an American during the IIHF World Championships. He also set the record for most career assists in that same game.
Gaudreau played 161 games for Columbus. He scored 33 goals and totaled 134 points. Sure his two years could've been looked at like they were down years, and they were down based on his standards, but I'm sure no one was more disappointed than him. But in the end, everyone loved Johnny Gaudreau, regardless of whether he scored 5 points in a game or not.
Johnny Gaudreau will live on forever in the hearts of CBJ and Flames fans all over the world, and rightfully so.
There are 13 days left until opening night at Nationwide Arena. The Flames will have their season opener on Saturday, October 12th against the Philadelphia Flyers.
What's your favorite Johnny Gaudreau memory? Please share your thoughts on our forum.
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