Russell LaBounty-USA TODAY Sports

Columbus Blue Jackets start the game with just four players in honor of Johnny Gaudreau (video)

Originally posted on Hockey Unplugged | By Axel Williams | Last updated 10/15/24

Tonight was an emotional one as the Columbus Blue Jackets played their home opener against the Florida Panthers in their first home match since the passing of Johnny Gaudreau.

Everyone knew that this game was going to be a special one and that it would also be a difficult one for both teams to play. Numerous tributes were planned for Gaudreau and fans were interested to see just how the Blue Jackets would handle all of this.

Tonight, there is no doubt that the Blue Jackets went all out in a way that fans are going to remember for the rest of their lives. Below, you can see that when the game began, the Blue Jackets started the game with just four players. They left the left wing open as that is where Gaudreau would play. From there, the game started and both teams refused to do anything for 13 seconds. Subsequently, the ref blew the whistle and the game went on as normal.

It was a truly goose-bump-inducing moment that fans are going to remember for a very long time. 'Love you Johnny' chants rang throughout the arena and it was truly beautiful to witness. One can only imagine how the players must be feeling throughout all of this.

Our heart continues to go out to the Gaudreau family during this incredibly difficult time. We cannot begin to imagine what they must be going through right now. We hope they are able to find solace in the fact that the entire hockey world is behind them right now.

This article first appeared on Hockey Unplugged and was syndicated with permission.

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