In his lone USHL season with the Dubuque Fighting Saints, Johnny Gaudreau led the team to its only Clark Cup. On Saturday, the team paid tribute to him in a pre-game ceremony.
It’s been nearly five months since Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau lost their lives in a biking accident. The hole their loss left seems as big as ever, but the legacy they each left behind is much bigger.
Numerous teams at the different levels of hockey have paid tribute to Johnny and Matty since the tragedy. The latest came Saturday night in Dubuque, as the Fighting Saints held a special pre-game ceremony honoring both brothers and retiring Johnny’s No. 8 prior to their game with the Sioux City Musketeers.
In his one season with the Saints, Johnny led the team to a Clark Cup Championship in its inaugural season in the USHL. Matthew also played in the league with the Omaha Lancers from 2011-13.
It’s only fitting that Johnny’s is the first number retired by the Saints. As a 17-year-old during that championship season, he led the team with 36 goals, 15 of which came on the power play. He also tallied 11 points in 11 post-season games. His number now hangs in the rafters at ImOn Arena alongside the championship banner.
Johnny continued his winning ways at Boston College, where he and Matthew played as teammates.
In his freshman season, Johnny helped the team to an NCAA National Championship, scoring 44 points in 44 games. He also captured the Hobey Baker Award as the nation's top player two years later.
Although he never got to hoist the Stanley Cup, Johnny played 763 NHL games between the Calgary Flames and Columbus Blue Jackets. He was a seven-time All-Star and posted 115 points during the 2021-22 season with the Flames, a career-high.
The remembrance ceremony kicked off with a video tribute featuring clips of Johnny and tributes from former teammates and coaches. One of them was current St. Louis Blues head coach Jim Montgomery, who coached Johnny during that Clark Championship run.
“My greatest memories of Johnny Gaudreau is how great the Gaudreau family was, how special that year was” Montgomery said in the video. “Being part of the family of the Fighting Saints when we took the league by storm as an expansion team, led by the dazzling Johnny Gaudreau, No. 8, scoring numerous big-time goals in our championship run. I will never forget that smile of Johnny’s that put a smile on my face every time, and that we are both Saints for life, forever.”
A number of Johnny’s former teammates of the 2010-11 championship team were then introduced on the ice, followed by a presentation of a canvas art memorial to the Gaudreau family.
USHL President and Commissioner Glenn Hefferan formally announced the introduction of the Gaudreau Award, an annual honor that will be presented to a player in the league who best embodies the legacy of the Gaudreau brothers.
After a local elementary school sang the Star-Spangled Banner, members of the Gaudreau family took part in ceremonial puck drops. Johnny and Matty’s father, Guy, delivered the starting lineup to the team before the game, after having skated with them during practice on Friday.
As successful as Johnny was throughout his playing career, he also wanted to give back to the sport that gave so much to him. While still with the Flames in 2018, he bought a minority ownership in the Saints. Current head coach Evan Dixon wanted to convey the significance of Saturday’s ceremony and Johnny’s legacy to his players.
“This game means more than wins and losses,” Dixon said during his pre-game radio show. “It’s about something bigger than ourselves. I’ve asked the guys to find gratitude in what it means to put that jersey on (Saturday) and know that we can’t take any moment for granted.”
As for the game, the Saints won a 4-3 thriller that went to overtime.
The night ended just the way Johnny Hockey would have wanted: exciting to the very end. No doubt, he flashed a dazzling smile as he watched from above.