Getting a nickname in hockey is not only a sign of affection but a sense that a player has really made it. Wayne Gretzky became the 鈥淕reat One,鈥� Mario Lemieux was 鈥淪uper Mario鈥� and the late Gordie Howe remains 鈥淢r. Hockey鈥� to the sport's players and fans everywhere.
鈥淛ohnny Hockey鈥� was the one bestowed on Johnny Gaudreau, and it stuck to the talented, beloved player wherever he went. It was a reminder of his skills and unselfishness on and off the ice that made it all the more painful when word spread that the 31-year-old standout for the Columbus Blue Jackets when they were struck by a suspected drunken driver near their childhood home on the eve of their sister's wedding in Philadelphia.
Gaudreau never got the chance to put together a full NHL career like Gretzky, Lemieux or Howe, yet everyone in the sport knew who he was: A kid from Carneys Point, New Jersey, who thrived despite being well under 6 feet tall, a pioneer of sorts for players who make up for a lack of size with skill, speed and energy.
The brothers grew up in hockey, playing for the Little Flyers and even getting to spend a year together as teammates at Boston College in 2013-14. It was the season Johnny Gaudreau won the Hobey Baker Award as the top NCAA player in the country, and his brother was there to be a part of it.
鈥淏oth Matty and Johnny were terrifically admired by all of us: Wonderful young guys, and they impressed a lot of us off ice," recalled Jerry York, who coached them at BC.
The eldest Gaudreau brother, Johnny was picked by Calgary in the fourth round of the NHL draft in 2011. His boyhood team, the Philadelphia Flyers, were interested but only in later rounds, considering he was at the time about 5-foot-7 or so.
Flames head scout Tod Button had no trouble making a case for Gaudreau to then-general manager Jay Feaster, who knew all about undersized players from running the Tampa Bay Lightning when they won the Stanley Cup with dynamic 鈥� and small 鈥� Martin St. Louis as one of their best players.
鈥淭od and his staff had seen him play a lot, and he just felt that he was a special player: his hands and his vision and his hockey sense,鈥� Feaster said Friday. 鈥淗e was convinced, even though he鈥檚 a small guy, that he was going to be able to play. ... I said: 鈥業 believe in you. If you believe in him that strongly, then let鈥檚 do it because I know that small guys can play in the game.'鈥�
Feaster and assistant Craig Conroy the next couple of summers visited with Gaudreau and his family at Hollydell Ice Arena, which father Guy managed, to encourage Johnny to turn pro. His mother, Jane, wondered about her son's size at the NHL level and had many questions about the next step.
Family, as always, came first.
鈥淲hen it came around that his brother was going to be going to BC to play as well and they鈥檇 play together, Craig and I knew we weren鈥檛 going to get him out early,鈥� Feaster said.
Following his college stardom and a year on campus together with his brother, Gaudreau broke into the league at 5-foot-9 and less than 180 pounds. He was voted to the all-rookie team in his first season. He made seven All-Star Weekend appearances over a decade with the Flames and Blue Jackets.
Along the way, he became Johnny Hockey to a far wider fan base than the faithful following Boston College.
鈥淭here are few players in hockey history who matched his passion and love for the game of hockey,鈥� said longtime executive Brian Burke, who knew Gaudreau from his time running the Flames and the U.S. men's national team. 鈥淗is talent on the ice was enhanced, not diminished, by the fact that he was having fun out there.鈥�
Gaudreau was a nearly point-a-game player with 776 points in 805 regular-season and playoff games. His 743 regular-season points rank in the top 30 of all U.S.-born players. Gaudreau also owns the men鈥檚 world championship records by a U.S. player with 30 assists and 43 points.
Two years ago, Gaudreau left Calgary to worth nearly $69 million with the Blue Jackets that put him and his young family in Ohio, closer to home in New Jersey.
Burke remembered something else about his former player too: A willingness to go beyond the game.
鈥淔irst and foremost, Johnny was always the first to raise his hand to give back to his community. When we had any charity requests, we always knew he would say yes, without hesitation," he said. "His love of his family, friends and alma mater was always apparent and was clearly the driving force in his life.鈥�
Family members always called him John, with the 鈥淛ohnny Hockey鈥� nickname coming from his days at BC. They trademarked it only so they would have some say over how it was used.
鈥淲e鈥檒l never, ever make a penny with it,鈥� Guy Gaudreau in South Jersey in 2015. 鈥淲e鈥檙e not looking to make a penny with it. We just don鈥檛 want it to be abused. If it comes to the point where 鈥楯ohnny Hockey鈥� becomes really popular, like if cancer people want to do fundraisers, we鈥檒l let them do all the fundraising they want with it and they can have all the money.鈥�
In the same interview before Gloucester Catholic High School retired Gaudreau's number, Guy said his son "just wants to play hockey. If Calgary told him, 鈥榃e鈥檙e not paying you this year,鈥� he鈥檇 say, 鈥榃ell, can I still play hockey?鈥欌��
He and his brother took different paths in the sport they loved, with Johnny finding NHL stardom and Matthew playing in the minors with a stint in Sweden before retiring two years ago and going to serve as boys hockey coach at Gloucester Catholic. They were back together this week for sister Katie's wedding. Matthew, 29, and his wife were reportedly expecting their first child.
Hours after the tragedy, Feaster's thoughts were not about Gaudreau's magnificent career but the loss of two sons, husbands and fathers far too soon.
鈥淔or me it isn鈥檛 about the hockey,鈥� Feaster said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about the family. It鈥檚 about his mom and dad and his sisters and his children, his wife. That鈥檚 the tough part. It isn鈥檛 the hockey. It鈥檚 the human beings.鈥�
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AP NHL:
Stephen Whyno, The Associated Press
