Johnny Gaudreau: A jersey will be placed in his locker for Jackets games

The Blue Jackets will make several gestures over the coming season to honor the lives of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau.

The club’s players will wear a sticker displaying the brothers’ #13 and #21 for the entire season, a minute’s silence will be observed at the team’s first home pre-season game, a patch with the #13 will be affixed to players’ jerseys…

The Jackets are doing it the right way.

But it goes even further than that.

The Blue Jackets will also keep Johnny’s locker for next season, and a jersey will be installed in his place for all the team’s games this year.

It’s a really nice thought.

Blue Jackets GM Don Waddell said that Johnny Gaudreau’s locker stall will be left intact and his jersey will be placed there for each game pic.twitter.com/fEh9Mzzli2

– B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) September 18, 2024

Everyone has been touched by the tragedy, but the two guys will never be forgotten.

The Blue Jackets are doing a great job of honoring the lives of both brothers, and that should be appreciated by the family.

The NHL should also think about doing something, and in that respect, I think it would be appropriate for all players in the league (not just Jackets players) to have a sticker on their helmet with Johnny’s number and Matthew’s number.

It would be a powerful gesture. We know how much Johnny was appreciated throughout the league, and we know how tightly woven the NHL community is.

I’m sure the players wouldn’t mind the idea. On the contrary…