How An Unspeakable Tragedy Has United Two Fan Bases

On July 13th, 2022, the unthinkable happened to the Calgary Flames - Their beloved Johnny Gaudreau left in free agency and signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets. 

His decision to leave Calgary and move closer to home sparked outrage online from fans of the Flames. From attacking the city of Columbus, the team, the players, and even Johnny Hockey himself, it was a relentless onslaught. 

When he went back to Calgary for the first time, fans booed him, especially when he touched the puck for the first time. But during his tribute video, it was mostly cheers. Johnny himself could barely look up at the screen, instead just keeping his head down for the most part. One can only assume that was his way of staying composed at that moment. 

Since his first game back in Calgary, the Blue Jackets fans vs. Flames fans rivalry has calmed down to an extent. It's no secret that Johnny had a rough year last year, and fans made sure to point that out whenever they could, but CBJ fans and people who follow the team are deeply loyal and will fire back whenever they feel the need. 

When the news of Johnny's passing broke, the cities of Columbus and Calgary were in obvious shock. Fans took to X to express their feelings about everything that was going on. 

Fans from all around the league offered their condolences to both the team and fans who follow the Blue Jackets. But something unexpected happened after all of this - fans from both the CBJ and Flames realized that they both loved Johnny Gaudreau and could get along after all. 

I saw countless posts on both Facebook and X from both fan bases that said they were rooting and cheering for each other's teams. Flames fans actively rooting for the Jackets in the upcoming season is not something anyone expected to see. 

But it went both ways. CBJ fans also offered their fandom to Calgary as well. After watching the vigil that Calgary had for Johnny one thing was very clear - They absolutely adored Johnny Gaudreau, and THAT'S why they were so upset when he left in 2022. It wasn't just because he chose Columbus of all places, it was because he was the face of their franchise, and he was loved. 

Who would've thought that two fan bases, from two different countries and opposite sides of North America could come together as one. Two fan bases grieving over a player that provided so much excitement and joy. For Calgary, it was almost a decade of cheering for #13. For Columbus, it was only two years, but those two years were full of exciting Johnny Hockey moments.

Nationwide Arena was full almost every night, even when the team was far out of the playoff hunt because people wanted to watch Johnny Gaudreau and his Blue Jackets play. Who can forget April 13th, 2023, when Gaudreau scored an overtime goal to beat the Pittsburgh Penguins? That goal caused the CBJ to get the second-best odds to win the draft lottery instead of the #1 odds. They ended up with Adam Fantilli, so I guess he's off the hook for that one. 

The Jackets and Flames will play each other twice in five days in late November and early December, at which time the two fan bases will actively root against one another. But before those games, and after, many will be cheering on each other's teams. 

For many, it's only right, because cheering for the Jackets or Flames is cheering for Johnny Gaudreau and his memory. 

What do you think? Please share your thoughts on our forum.

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