For Meredith Gaudreau, the first feelings that she ever had for her husband were a mysterious admiration. “I remember how everyone gravitated toward you. Everyone wanted to be near you. To see you. And I was like, Who is this guy? I didn’t know a thing about you,” she wrote in her tribute to her beloved—a love letter to the other side, which The Players’ Tribune published on June 12. It will be almost a year since Johnny Gaudreau was not with us today. But we all feel the same pull, the gloomy sadness—that we lost someone the world so dearly needed.

It was on August 29, 2024, that an ill-fated accident would take the lives of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau, brothers who had made hockey their lives. That and being amazing human beings for whom family came first. But every relationship they ever made counted for something, because Johnny and Matthew were always there for you when you needed them. And today, as we mark the first birthday without Johnny Gaudreau being with us, it’s such a beautiful thing to see that the NHL family has come together to remember the Columbus Blue Jackets legend.

August 13, 2024 – the Columbus Blue Jackets took to X to mark the occasion. “Today, we celebrate and honor the life and legacy of Johnny Gaudreau on what would have been his 32nd birthday ❤️.” All we can do is remember the good times that we shared in his presence, his hockey moments that spanned 10 seasons across the NHL.

Hailing from Salem, New Jersey, he is survived by his father, Guy Gaudreau; his mother, Jane Gaudreau; his sister, Katie Gaudreau; and his wife, Meredith Gaudreau. Johnny and Meredith had built a beautiful life together with their 2 kids, Noa and Johnny Jr. “You were perfect. My dream guy,” Meredith had said in her tribute. Seven months after the tragedy, Meredith welcomed a fourth member of the family, Carter Johnny Gaudreau Meredith.

Sharing the beautiful news on Instagram, she wrote, “8lb 3 ounces, 20.5 inches – exact same as his daddy. He looks exactly like his daddy too  🥰.” It could have been a lonely, difficult road for the whole Gaudreau family, the sorrow of the loss breaking them if not for the family Johnny Gaudreau had made on the ice. And what we saw today was not just the Columbus Blue Jackets family honoring his legacy; the NHL became one today.

NHL remembers hockey’s fallen angel, Johnny Gaudreau

One of the wishes for the USA left-winger came from an X outlet called Snackpack. The tweet read, “Happy Birthday Johnny Gaudreau AKA Johnny Hockey! May you rip sir.  💙 ❤️”. A Blue Jackets fan wrote, “We miss you everyday!!!” Not just you, friend. The hardest has been for his family, especially Guy and Jane Gaudreau. To deal with it, Jane Gaudreau often took to Instagram to share memories of her sons and their likes and dislikes.

But still, it’s never easy for a mother. “There are days I can deal with this pain,” she had said in an Instagram post. “I can smile. I can even laugh. And then there are days that I can hardly get out of the bed. Grief is hard, so very hard.” But what made her at peace was the respect her son was getting from his fellow peers, and that too from another team.

Washington Capitals forward Cole Caufield’s beautiful gesture to switch jersey number to 13 was a bittersweet moment for Guy Gaudreau. It was an acknowledgement of the humanity of Johnny Gaudreau, the kind of man he was, and that is a proud feeling for a father, seeing his son be the reason for hockey transcending colors and franchises.

In fact, one Capitals fan wrote, “One of the real good guys!” Not just good, but the best, the perfect guy, as Meredith Goudreau said. Tributes were coming in from all around the NHL. Even cold, ruthless rivals on the ice today were together for one man. A Tampa Bay fan said, “Never forget 13.” And there was, too, a Panthers fan who spoke the same sentiment. “HBD JG #13 🫡.”

So powerful, isn’t it? Just a month ago, the Panthers and the Oilers clashed like vicious competitors on ice for hockey’s biggest prize. But today, they were united for the Blue Jackets immortal. An Oilers fan wrote, “Johnny Hockey 🏒 forever Breathtaking all the beauty lost.” Yes, in one horrible moment, everything was upstaged, and the cruel nature of fate manifested. One fan said, “Gone too soon,” something Meredith Gaudreau and Melanie Gaudreau haven’t been able to come to terms with.

A Minnesota Wild fan wrote, “F**k drink driving. Rest easy Johnny pucks.” We can’t turn back time, but so that someone doesn’t suffer like this again, the Gaudreau wives have overcome their pain to do something that makes the world a better and safer place. They launched the John and Matthew Gaudreau Foundation, which intends to curb drunk driving, support families affected by it, and aid hockey fans affected by adversity.

A New York Islanders fan tried to talk about the menace of drunk driving. Well, two precious lives are no more today. The tweet read, “Please…NEVER drink and drive folks. It can be devastating for all involved.  If you drink, take a cab home.  Ask a friend who hasn’t drunk to drive.  Or just stay put for 3-4 hours. Tragedies like this are completely avoidable.”

Wise words, and hopefully, the world will learn. A Dallas Stars fan could share a crying GIF to express the overwhelming feeling of the void left behind by the Gaudreau brothers. A Chicago Blackhawks fan wrote, “Rip Johnny,” while a New Jersey Devils fan shared, “RIP and happy birthday.”

When Johnny Gaudreau left the Flames after eight seasons, many fans felt a bit let down. Gaudreau himself confessed that a fan has the right to do so. But all he requested was for those fans to see it from his perspective. Today, as a Flames fan honors his birthday, we remember his lines shared with The Players’ Tribune for the Flames fans. “I feel so grateful to have been brought up in the Calgary Flames Organization.”

An Ottawa Senators fan and a Leafs fan wished “Happy birthday,” referring to him by his famous nickname ‘Johnny Hockey.’ A Vancouver Canuck shared, “Happy Birthday Johnny 💔.” A Buffalo Sabres fan wrote, “Happy Johnny! We miss you! ❤️”. Similarly, a Montreal Canadiens fan shared, “Happy heavenly Johnny Gaudreau, we all miss you.” Couldn’t have said it better, mate.