Blue Jackets Host Candlelight Vigil at Nationwide Arena for Gaudreau Brothers

The loss of Columbus Blue Jackets star Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew last week rocked the NHL world.

Gaudreau, known as one of the league’s nicest and most talented players, was hit by a drunk driver while riding bikes with his brother the night before his sister’s wedding, at which they were both to be best men.

Following the deaths of the Gaudreau brothers, the Blue Jackets held a candlelight vigil outside Nationwide Arena on Wednesday night. Thousands of fans gathered outside the stadium to pay tribute to the Gaudreau family. In addition to lighting candles, there was a slideshow of photos of the Gaudreau family and a long moment of silence that lasted 13 minutes and 21 seconds.

Of course, Johnny, aptly nicknamed Johnny Hockey, wore No. 13 throughout his NHL career, while his brother Matthew wore No. 21 at Boston College. A moment of silence was held in tribute to their jersey numbers, and then bagpipes played the song “Amazing Grace.”

It was a touching tribute to one of the most beloved families in hockey and a clear sign of how much the Gaudreau family meant to NHL fans.