Nearly a week after the world learned of the tragic deaths of hockey star Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew in a bicycle accident, Calgary will gather to remember the brothers with a candlelight vigil outside the Scotiabank Saddledome on Wednesday night. The Saddledome, where “Johnny Hockey” spent years dazzling fans with his incredible skills, will be the setting for a somber gathering to honor both brothers.
The Calgary Flames, Johnny Gaudreau’s former NHL team, invited the community to the vigil in a social media post on Tuesday. The event is scheduled for 8 p.m. local time. The Flames also announced the need to relocate a portion of the massive makeshift memorial that has been growing outside the Saddledome each day, partly to accommodate the vigil. The moved items, including a large expanse of concrete adorned with chalk tributes, flowers, and Gaudreau jerseys, remain accessible to fans in a nearby location.
The Gaudreau brothers were struck by a vehicle while cycling in New Jersey last Thursday night. Police suspect the driver was impaired. This tragic accident occurred just one night before they were to serve as groomsmen at their sister Katie’s wedding.
Johnny Gaudreau, after a successful college hockey career, played eight seasons with the Flames, becoming a fan favorite. In 2022, he joined the Columbus Blue Jackets, seeking to be closer to family in New Jersey. The Blue Jackets announced their own candlelight vigil in Columbus, Ohio, on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. local time, “in remembrance of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau.” The vigil will take place on the Front Street Plaza outside the east entrance to Nationwide Arena.
Visitors continue to stream to the memorial outside the Saddledome, leaving their heartfelt messages and mementos. Among them was Flames general manager Craig Conroy, who reflected on his long-standing connection with Johnny Gaudreau. “Seeing him go from where he was to getting married to Meredith, having kids… He’s like one of your kids too,” Conroy shared. “You’re watching him grow and get older and learn how to be an adult. When he got here he was a kid, and then he grew into a man and then a dad.”
Lindsay Hamilton, a Flames fan and artist, was seen painting a portrait of Johnny Gaudreau at the memorial. “Just being a Flames fan for my whole life and growing up in Calgary, this was obviously something that hit the city pretty deep. So I was just feeling extremely inspired,” Hamilton explained. “It hits home. It’s tough to see how many people have come out and are sad and show love for him.”
Flames fan Hayden Paddock found the experience more emotional than he anticipated. “I knew what I was coming to see but it’s a different feeling when you get here in person,” he said. “Lots of memories.”
Meredith, Johnny Gaudreau’s widow and the mother of their children, acknowledged the outpouring of support from Calgary on social media. “Thank you Calgary,” she wrote. “This is amazing. But I’m not surprised. The best people ever.”
In a separate act of kindness, a GoFundMe fundraiser set up to assist Matthew Gaudreau’s widow, Madeline, and their unborn child had raised over $500,000 by Tuesday afternoon. Over 7,600 individuals donated, many from Matthew’s fellow hockey players. The top donation, a generous $10,000, came from Cliff Rucker, owner of the Worcester Railers HC organization in the East Coast Hockey League, where Matthew played from 2017 to 2019.
“You and Matty will always be part of our Railer family, and I hope you can feel the love and support we are sending your way,” Rucker expressed.
The candlelight vigils in Calgary and Columbus serve as a testament to the impact both Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau had on their respective communities and the hockey world. Their memory will live on in the hearts of those who loved and admired them.
