Watch: Blue Jackets, Panthers pay tribute to Johnny Gaudreau

Minnesota Wild and Columbus Blue Jackets players stand for a moment of silence on Oct. 10 honoring the lives of Matthew and Johnny Gaudreau. Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

Watch: Blue Jackets, Panthers pay touching tribute to Johnny Gaudreau

By Adam Gretz | Last updated 10/15/24

The Columbus Blue Jackets played their first home game on Tuesday night since the tragic death of left winger Johnny Gaudreau. The Blue Jackets and Florida Panthers paid tribute to Gaudreau in a number of ways before the game and concluded it with the opening puck drop to the game.

The Blue Jackets took the ice with only four players, leaving Gaudreau's left-wing spot open.

When the puck was dropped, Blue Jackets center Sean Monahan — Gaudreau's longtime linemate in Calgary — passed it over to Florida's Sam Bennett (another former teammate in Calgary) who then gently slid it to the open spot on the ice.

The two teams then stood still for 13 seconds to represent Gaudreau's No. 13. At that point the clock was stopped, then officially re-started like normal.

The Blue Jackets and Panthers let 13 seconds comes off the clock on the opening draw. pic.twitter.com/3CDVrR9OSe
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) October 15, 2024

Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew, were both killed by a drunk driver in their home state of New Jersey on Aug. 29 while they were on a bike ride the night before their sister's wedding.

Gaudreau had signed with the Blue Jackets as a free agent prior to the 2022-23 season. The connection that Gaudreau and Monahan had as teammates and linemates in Calgary was a big reason why Monahan signed with the Blue Jackets this past offseason.

The Panthers also honored Gaudreau before Tuesday's game by arriving at Nationwide Arena with every player having a pre-game snap of purple Gatorade and Skittles — two of Gaudreau's favorite things.