Five Memories from Johnny Gaudreau’s Time with the Columbus Blue Jackets

“Johnny Hockey” didn’t have much playing time for the Blue Jackets, and the two years Johnny Gaudreau played in Columbus were quite the challenge for the star player.

More: Columbus Blue Jackets to Keep Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Gaudreau

After shocking the NHL in July 2022 by signing a seven-year contract with the Blue Jackets, Gaudreau joined a team that was quickly plagued by injuries and has declined in the past two seasons. That has decimated his stats, which have fallen from a career-high 115 points last season with the Calgary Flames, but Gaudreau hasn’t entered the summer with a defeatist attitude.

He was determined to make the most of the offseason, focusing on a bounce-back season that would show the Blue Jackets and their passionate fans why they called him “Johnny Hockey.”

Johnny Gaudreau’s Death: Blue Jackets Fans React

“Johnny was a really special player, (he was) really important to the city.”

Instead, Gaudreau and his younger brother, Matthew, were killed last week while riding their bikes on a rural road in Oldmans Township, New Jersey, not far from where they grew up. Just two weeks after turning 31, Gaudreau’s life was cut short by an incident involving a reckless driver who admitted to New Jersey State Police that he had been drinking before the accident.

Gaudreau no longer has a chance to help the Blue Jackets become a playoff contender, and the special moments he planned to give Columbus are now just “what if” dreams. But looking back, Gaudreau left his mark on the Blue Jackets during his time wearing their Union Blue.

Here are five memorable moments from Gaudreau’s time with the Blue Jackets:

Before Gaudreau was brought in on July 13, 2022, former Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen attempted to downplay the impact of free agency in the NHL.

His rebuilding team exceeded expectations in former coach Brad Larsen’s first season (2021-22), the Jackets’ hopes still largely hinged on the maturity of their young players, and Kekalainen was also trying to negotiate a contract extension with restricted free agent Patrik Laine.

The Jackets, in many ways, weren’t ready to add a big-time star, but they also weren’t in a position to say, “Thanks, but no thanks” to Johnny Gaudreau. He wanted to join the Blue Jackets, raise his family in Columbus and be close enough to his New Jersey roots that his family could be on his doorstep, just a half-day’s drive away.

So the Blue Jackets made him an offer and he signed it.

After watching Artemi Panarin, Sergei Bobrovsky and Matt Duchene escape in 2019, just weeks after helping the Jackets win the only playoff series in franchise history, Gaudreau’s shocking decision warmed the hearts of many in Columbus as much as it stunned the hockey world.

His arrival in Central Ohio is something Blue Jackets fans and local hockey fans alike will not soon forget.

Johnny Gaudreau gives fans an unforgettable goal celebration in the first home game against the Columbus Blue Jackets

After facing numerous questions during training camp and the preseason about signing with Columbus, it didn’t take long for Gaudreau to fire a shot into the net at Nationwide Arena for his first official goal for the Blue Jackets.

Just 2:21 into the Jackets’ home opener, Gaudreau parked himself in the slot and fired a shot into the net off Justin Danforth’s backhand pass behind the Tampa Bay Lightning goal. Technically, the puck deflected off Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman and past goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy, but it counted anyway.

Gaudreau’s smile was electric, the packed arena came alive and the Jackets’ newest star pumped a fist as he drove toward the wall on the left wing. Tampa Bay won 5-2, but Gaudreau delivered a special moment in his home opener.

Johnny Gaudreau’s stunning goal from behind the arc leads the Columbus Blue Jackets to victory

The Jackets lost the first three games of Gaudreau’s career with Columbus, but he kept the losing streak from reaching four.

Just 2:27 after Bo Horvat gave the Vancouver Canucks a 3-2 lead at Nationwide Arena, Gaudreau equalized with a smooth, rounding shot past goaltender Spencer Martin, who joined the Blue Jackets the following year.

After collecting the puck inside his own blue line, Gaudreau gained momentum and moved up the ice, dragging Martin to the outside of the left goal post, then dragging the puck around the opposite post to deflect it off the goalie’s left skate and into the net.

The goal tied the score at 3-3, forcing overtime, and defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov won the game at 3:21 of overtime. Gaudreau put his guile, speed, hands, and creativity on full display to score the goal—showing why his nickname was “Johnny Hockey.”

Columbus Blue Jackets’ Kent Johnson impresses Johnny Gaudreau with goal for Michigan

During Gaudreau’s first season in Columbus, the Blue Jackets had a highly-rated rookie, and Kent Johnson’s style of play must have seemed familiar.

Johnson towered over Gaudreau in height, but he had the wiry build of the Jackets star, as well as similar hands and vision as a passer. One thing Johnson could do that Gaudreau avoided was scoring with the kind of lacrosse shot made famous by Michigan’s Mike Legg in a college game.

Johnson had a few poor attempts as a rookie, but he did it perfectly on March 24, 2022 — exactly 27 years to the day since Legg first did it for the school Johnson played at for two years before starting his NHL career. Johnson’s goal gave the Jackets a 3-2 lead late in the second period against the New York Islanders, and Gaudreau was more than a little impressed.

Watching from the bench, he quickly covered his mouth with his right hand, looked at his teammates and shook his head, smiling in disbelief. It was one of the most memorable moments for the Blue Jackets and Gaudreau during a brutal injury-plagued season.

Columbus Blue Jackets’ Johnny Gaudreau Promises to Continue Charity Work Started by Patrik Laine

Before last season, Laine pledged to donate $1,000 for every point he scored to the OhioHealth Foundation, which supports efforts to raise awareness of men’s mental health.

It’s an issue that has become increasingly important to Laine, who battled another season of physical injuries that limited his time on the ice before eventually enrolling in the joint NHL/NHL Players Association Player Assistance Program. He played just 18 games after entering the program, which essentially ended his season in late January with just six goals, three assists and nine points.

Gaudreau took notice of Laine’s charitable idea when it was announced in October 2023, and it came as a revelation during the Jackets’ midseason break week. He announced through the team that he would donate $1,000 for every point he scored from then until the end of the season to Laine’s charity.

Beginning with an assist in the Jackets’ 6-3 loss that night in Ottawa, Gaudreau has 25 points on four goals and 21 assists over his last 29 games, good for $25,000, increasing Laine’s total donation from $9,000 to $34,000. That same day, Laine took to Twitter/X to criticize the podcast for its insensitive remarks about his departure from the team, something Gaudreau also objected to when asked about after the game.

It was an impressive display of humanity and leadership from Gaudreau, especially in the wake of a frustrating loss to the Ottawa Senators.

“We miss Patty in the locker room,” Gaudreau said. “We miss seeing him on the ice and being on the ice, so when I saw him do this (charity) at the beginning of the season, I thought it was amazing. I thought it was for a good cause, and then he had to go into the program to deal with it, so I thought, ‘What better way to support him than to pick up where I left off’ and try to help in any way I can.”

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@BrianHedger

Five Memories from Johnny Gaudreau’s Time with the Columbus Blue Jackets

Johnny Gaudreau gives fans an unforgettable goal celebration in the first home game against the Columbus Blue Jackets

Johnny Gaudreau’s stunning goal from behind the arc leads the Columbus Blue Jackets to victory

Columbus Blue Jackets’ Kent Johnson impresses Johnny Gaudreau with goal for Michigan

Columbus Blue Jackets’ Johnny Gaudreau Promises to Continue Charity Work Started by Patrik Laine

Learn more about the Columbus Blue Jackets on the Cannon Fodder podcast

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Five Memories from Johnny Gaudreau’s Time with the Columbus Blue Jackets

Johnny Gaudreau gives fans an unforgettable goal celebration in the first home game against the Columbus Blue Jackets

Johnny Gaudreau’s stunning goal from behind the arc leads the Columbus Blue Jackets to victory

Columbus Blue Jackets’ Kent Johnson impresses Johnny Gaudreau with goal for Michigan

Columbus Blue Jackets’ Johnny Gaudreau Promises to Continue Charity Work Started by Patrik Laine

Learn more about the Columbus Blue Jackets on the Cannon Fodder podcast

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Cardinals make big pitching roster shakeup ahead of Mariners clash

‘My Old Ass’ Writer-Director Megan Park On Making People Cry

Tigers’ top pitching prospect earns late-season promotion to Toledo

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