On October 15, 2024, the Columbus Blue Jackets began their home opener against the Florida Panthers without a left winger. For thirteen seconds after puck drop, Johnny Gaudreau’s position on the ice remained unoccupied. As the clock ran down, players on both teams tapped their sticks on the ice, Nationwide Arena stood up, and Blue Jackets coach Dean Evason was one of the many with tears in his eyes. Matthew Tkachuk wanted to be there, too. He wanted to be on the ice honoring his friend. More importantly, he wanted to be there with Johnny’s family. But an illness had kept him away. Nonetheless, he made sure to send a message. “Unfortunately, I won’t be there tonight in Columbus. Johnny was a huge part of the hockey community but to me he was much more than that. A great friend, teammate, and family man. Not a day goes by without me thinking about Johnny and Matthew,” he wrote.
It has been more than six months since that day. Tkachuk has the all-important Stanley Cup final to prepare for. Yet, his recent gesture showed that even with all the celebrations and success that he has been a part of this year, his friend has been in his thoughts throughout.
The Gaudreau family 5k’s official Instagram page just shared that Tkachuk donated his signed jersey to their memorabilia auction. The post was accompanied by a picture of Tkachuk and Gaudreau standing together, all smiles, in their NHL All-Star weekend sweaters. Tkachuk’s gesture was simple, yet impactful, showing how much Gaudreau’s friendship meant to him.
After all, Matthew didn’t just contribute a meaningful piece, but through his kind gesture, he has helped raise funds for building an adaptive playground at Archbishop Damiano School.
This is a developing story…
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