Jackets to order locker stall for late Gaudreau

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Sean Monahan mentioned he’ll miss Johnny Gaudreau for the remainder of his life — however known as it “particular to get that reminiscence day-after-day” as his locker stall is subsequent to the one the group will preserve reserved for the late Columbus Blue Jackets star.

Monahan, 29, signed a five-year deal in Columbus this summer time partially to reunite with Gaudreau, his teammate for 9 years in Calgary, whom he known as “arguably my greatest buddy.”

Because the Blue Jackets opened coaching camp on Wednesday, Monahan spoke for the primary time publicly since Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew, had been killed by a suspected drunken driver whereas using bicycles on Aug. 29. Monahan was a pallbearer on the funeral and was going to reside three homes down from the Gaudreau household in Ohio.

“I nonetheless do not know the precise phrases to even say,” mentioned Monahan, who wore a shirt that includes a big No. 13 and a photograph of Gaudreau to the information convention.

“I am excited for the season. I am excited to get it going. We’ll miss Johnny. I will miss Johnny so much. It is one thing I take into consideration day-after-day. It is undoubtedly actually arduous to get by, however we have an amazing group right here and we will miss him as a group.”

The group introduced plans to formally honor Gaudreau, together with sporting a helmet sticker that includes the identify Gaudreau, two doves and the numbers 13 and 21 — which Johnny and Matthew wore of their hockey careers. The group can even have a No. 13 patch on their jerseys all through the season and postponed conventional opening night time festivities — together with participant blue carpet arrivals — to the second recreation, because the Oct. 15 opener at Nationwide Enviornment might be centered on honoring the Gaudreau brothers.

The Blue Jackets will reserve a locker stall for Gaudreau all season and can grasp his No. 13 jersey in it, each at residence and on the highway.

“Going to what he would need, it was to simply, play hockey. He cherished each second of each time he was within the rink. At observe, video games, sharing time with the fellows,” captain Boone Jenner mentioned. “That is one thing, once we are available in, we attempt to get pleasure from one another by the great instances — however particularly by the dangerous instances.”

A number of Blue Jackets gamers had already fashioned a relationship with Monahan due to his friendship with Gaudreau. These gamers additionally acknowledged the tough circumstance Monahan faces becoming a member of a brand new group, the place he’s tasked to be a mentor to younger facilities Adam Fantilli and Cole Sillinger.

“[Monahan] walked into a tricky scenario, assembly the fellows for the primary time after this occurred,” defenseman Zach Werenski mentioned. “I give him lots of credit score. Clearly, we all know John is an enormous cause of why he signed right here. It goes again to that time of being collectively. We’re there for him and I feel it speeds issues up slightly bit, the relationships. It is one of many worst instances in his life, and he is been superior to be round. In order that speaks volumes to what kind of particular person he’s. As a gaggle, we’re right here for him. We’ll get by this factor collectively.”

Blue Jackets administration, coaches and gamers spoke Wednesday about grieving collectively, and honoring Gaudreau by continually asking themselves, “What would Johnny need us to do?” On the night time of Gaudreau’s wake in New Jersey, coach Dean Evason met with the management group as they had been sitting round and requested that very query. They determined Gaudreau would have wished them to observe soccer and have a pair beers.

“With our movies we put collectively for camp, of the coaches requested, will we take Johnny out of the entire clips?” Evason mentioned. “I mentioned ‘Completely not.’ Johnny goes to show. Good and dangerous. If he did not again verify, we’ll present it. He’ll be with us. He’ll be a presence.”

Columbus is starting a brand new chapter with a brand new coach in Evason (who was fired by Minnesota final season) and new common supervisor in Don Waddell (who mutually parted methods in Carolina after his contract expired this spring). An enormous focus is reshaping the tradition and expediting the rebuild in order that the Blue Jackets could make the playoffs for the primary time since 2020. They’re on their fifth head coach in that span.

Earlier than the tragedy, Evason was searching for methods to create a contemporary begin for gamers. He shook up locker room assignments and requested for all of the photographs above the stalls, which had been beforehand particular person photographs of gamers, to get replaced with photographs of gamers in teams. The coach additionally advised his employees to not inform him something concerning the gamers — their personalities, how they performed final yr, how they carried out themselves.

“I do not care. I do not care what occurred final yr,” Evason mentioned. “I simply care about what’s occurring at observe and transferring ahead.”

Monahan mentioned that he all the time has nerves getting into a coaching camp as he desires to make impression, together with this yr — his twelfth season within the league.

“There’s lots of weight on our shoulders proper now,” Monahan mentioned. “An enormous loss, a particular one who will not be right here. It is on my thoughts day-after-day, each second. And we need to put our greatest foot ahead, our greatest effort on the market for John.”