Gaudreau Brothers Mentioned on NHL @TheRink Podcast

The tragic deaths of Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew are the focus of the latest episode of the “NHL @TheRink” podcast.

Co-hosts Dan Rosen and Shawn P. Roarke returned from their summer hiatus to share their thoughts on the news that shocked the sports world last week.

Johnny, 31, who played the past two seasons with the Columbus Blue Jackets and his first nine NHL seasons with the Calgary Flames, and Matthew, 29, who played four seasons at Boston College, were fatally struck by a vehicle Thursday while riding their bicycles near their home in Oldmans Township, New Jersey.

Rosen and Roarke throw a ball during NHL Network’s tribute to Johnny’s life and career, then welcome NHL.com columnist Nicholas J. Cotsonia, who was in Columbus to cover the Gaudreau brothers’ vigil outside Nationwide Arena on Wednesday.

Cotsonika, who wrote about Johnny’s hockey legacy on Friday, discusses the column and shares his thoughts on the tragic news.

Roarke, Rosen and Cotsonika also discussed Leon Draisaitl signing an eight-year, $112 million contract with the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday, Tomas Hertl’s potential impact on the Vegas Golden Knights, why Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman is still a restricted free agent and what that means, and the potential for forward Patrik Laine with the Montreal Canadiens.

The “NHL @TheRink” podcast will be in Las Vegas next week, where interviews during the NHL North American Player Media Tour will be taped and will air in future episodes.

The podcast is free, and listeners can subscribe on all platforms. It is also available on NHL.com/multimedia/podcasts and the NHL app.