Man Gaudreau helps out Flyers at Tortorella's invite

John Tortorella had a former hockey coach assist him Monday at Philadelphia Flyers coaching camp — the daddy of the late John and Matthew Gaudreau, who was an invited visitor.

The Flyers tapped their sticks in appreciation of Man Gaudreau, a former hockey coach at Hollydell Ice Area and Gloucester Catholic Excessive College in New Jersey, when he hit the ice to help with drills throughout apply. The Flyers shook Gaudreau’s hand on the finish of the skate in appreciation and thanked him for serving to out.

“He was hesitant at first, and we sort of let him go at his timetable,” Tortorella stated. “I feel it labored out rather well as we speak. I gave him my camp e-book. We will test in subsequent week and see if we will get him out right here a pair extra occasions and have him be a part of it. I do not need it to be, ‘Simply come out right here.’ I would like him to be a part of it. I feel will probably be therapeutic for him to be round us and run some drills.”

Tortorella stated he had by no means met Gaudreau, a former hockey participant and coach who raised his household close by, till Monday’s apply in New Jersey. Tortorella stated Gaudreau had an open invitation to return and assist the Flyers at any level.

“I by no means met Johnny and Matt in my travels as coach,” Tortorella advised reporters on the Flyers’ complicated in Voorhees. “However their household’s right here. Horrific state of affairs happening. He is a coach. He is carried out some nice work with among the youth out right here. I figured it is excellent simply to get him in with us.”

Tortorella joked that Gaudreau was giving him a tough time for yelling at gamers to skate tougher throughout apply.

“Lots of people know him within the group due to his fame,” Tortorella stated.

Tortorella attended the brothers’ funeral final month in a Philadelphia suburb.

“I believed the 2 wives have been so sturdy in how they dealt with themselves,” Tortorella stated. “Nobody can think about. Nobody can. I am hoping to get to know the household. I feel a variety of coaches need to get to know the household, the ladies, Matt’s household. It is simply horrible what occurred. It is nonetheless fairly recent. It is right here. It is with us. Down the road. We simply need to be a part of it and attempt to assist.”

John Gaudreau’s widow, Meredith, wrote on social media how a lot Tortorella’s gesture meant to the household.

“John & Matty would love this. They’re each so pleased with their dad, I do know this made them smile as they watched down from heaven,” she wrote, including a coronary heart emoji.

John Gaudreau, the Columbus Blue Jackets star, and his brother, Matthew, have been killed on Aug. 29 when police stated they have been struck by a suspected drunken driver whereas they have been driving bicycles on a rural street in South Jersey on the eve of their sister Katie’s marriage ceremony. The driving force who police say struck them is charged with two counts of loss of life by auto, together with reckless driving, possession of an open container and consuming alcohol in a motorcar.

John Gaudreau, generally known as “Johnny Hockey,” performed 10 full seasons within the league and was set to enter his third with the Blue Jackets after signing a seven-year, $68 million deal in 2022. He performed his first eight seasons with the Calgary Flames, a tenure that included turning into one of many sport’s high gamers and a fan favourite throughout North America.

“We do not need it to be an on a regular basis story,” Tortorella stated. “We simply need to assist. To be in a locker room, coach to teach, participant to teach, guys speaking to him, I simply hope it helps a little bit bit.”