Hey everyone. I had planned to post about the vacation I went on this past week and some things I’ve been reading recently, but that has been put aside for now. This incident will be difficult for me to discuss, mainly due to the subject matter. If you’re not in a great spot right now, I suggest you not read this one. It deals with drunk driving and other sad stuff, things I usually don’t talk about. You have been warned.

So, this post is about Johnny Gaudreau. Some of you who know sports have known him as Johnny Hockey or JG13. But if you haven’t heard of him, I’ll give you a brief history lesson. Johnny was an excellent NHL player for the Calgary Flames for nine years. At the time he and his brother were both killed by a drunk driver in New Jersey on Thursday night, he was about to start his 3rd season with the Columbus Blue Jackets, where he signed after the Flames lost to the Edmonton Oilers back in the 2022 playoffs. Johnny was 31 years old, married, and had two young kids, and his brother Matthew, who was a former hockey player himself, was 29. Matthew was expecting his first child with his wife in a few months, and unfortunately, he won’t be there to raise him all due to the heinous actions of this moron, who I won’t even mention by name. All you need to know about this guy is that he was driving under the influence in a very reckless way, and when he learned that he was going to be remaining in jail for a bit longer while his case was sorted out, he then proceeded to sit back in his chair and pout about it. Nobody is perfect, and that man, indeed, isn’t. He will serve multiple years in jail, I’m sure.

Johnny and Matthew’s deaths aren’t the only upsetting thing about this whole event. The news was initially broken late Thursday evening by a reporter from Philadelphia who claimed that Johnny and a family member had been involved in a “freak accident” in Philadelphia and had died. He provided no sources for this story and mentioned at the beginning of his tweet that he “wasn’t 100% sure” about its legitimacy. He then deleted the tweet not long after. Still, several rumors began to spread about what was going on, and soon, people suspected that the two cyclists had recently died in an accident near Salem in New Jersey, which is where Johnny and said family member grew up. It was later confirmed the next morning that the two cyclists were indeed the Gaudreau brothers.

I don’t think I need to explain just how stupid that is. I’ve always cared immensely about journalistic integrity and the facts always being reported. Whenever these so-called reporters come out with big stories or alleged events and fail to give enough information or aren’t 100% confident in what they’re reporting. The reporter who initially broke the news did so in a very unprofessional way, and he also lost his job due to his actions. Many have already forgiven him, which is the right thing to do. I don’t think he meant to cause anything harmful, but he did, and I appreciate that he is taking accountability for his actions. I only hope and pray that the man charged with killing two men will eventually do that as well.

This news has, understandably, rocked the sports world. Tributes have come from all over the place, from the Gaudreaus’ former teammates to various MLB teams and even from Canadian PM Justin Trudeau and LeBron James. Being from Edmonton, which is just a few hours north of Calgary, this has also hit me pretty hard. Growing up, I always hated the Flames for obvious reasons (provincial rival and whatnot). I always hated it whenever we lost to them, especially after Gaudreau stormed into the league. He was excellent as a Flame and always seemed to play his best against us. That being said, I never resented him for it. He was just an excellent player on a team that I didn’t like. After hearing all the stories about him over the last couple of days, it sounded like he was a man with good character and values, as well. His loss will be felt for years to come, not only in the hockey world but for those who knew him well and who loved him. I really do hope his family can recover from this, no matter how long it takes. Processing grief and healing from tragedy are never linear experiences, which is something I know too well.

I’ll end by making a suggestion. Send a prayer to the Gaudreau family and to the Blue Jackets organization as a whole as well. This is the second time this decade that the Blue Jackets have lost a roster player to a tragic accident, and hopefully, it’ll be the very last time as well. It’s such a shame that Johnny, who chose to play in Columbus during a time in which they were seen as an undesirable destination for free agents and prospects, was taken from them almost as quickly as he arrived.

With that being said, goodbye Johnny Hockey. I’ll miss the battles between you and my Oilers and your clear and present passion for both the game and your family.

You were a heck of a player, man. Rest easy.