The Columbus Blue Jackets convened for training camp this week weighed down by the grief of losing star forward Johnny Gaudreau three weeks ago and with plans to honor Gaudreau and his brother.
One of the worst teams in the NHL last season, the Blue Jackets must find a way to move forward with a new general manager and new coach and with a huge void left on and off the ice by the death of the 31-year-old Gaudreau.
“There's a lot of weight on our shoulders right now,” said Sean Monahan, who signed with Columbus July 1 because he wanted to play alongside Gaudreau again. They were teammates and best friends during eight seasons together playing for Calgary.
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"I'll miss him the rest of my life," said a somber Monahan, who will dress next to Gaudreau's empty stall in the Blue Jackets locker room.
“To say we know exactly what to do, I don't think that's fair,” said captain Boone Jenner, who's in his 12th season in Columbus. “I don't think there's a playbook out there for this situation and what has happened. And that's OK. I think we're going to learn and lean on each other as we go on.”
Gaudreau was killed along with his brother Matthew on Aug. 29 when they were hit by a car driven by an alleged impaired driver while bicycling near their hometown in Oldsman Township, New Jersey. Sean Higgins remains jailed awaiting trial on death by auto charges.
To honor the Gaudreau brothers, the Blue Jackets plan to wear special stickers on their helmets for the 2024-25 season, starting with their Monday, Sept. 23, opener in Buffalo.
"The sticker is blue with gray trim and features GAUDREAU, two doves between the numbers 13, which Johnny wore throughout his career, and 21, which Matthew wore at Boston College, in white," the Blue Jackets said.
Captain Boone Jenner said coping with Johnny Gaudreau's death is “the new reality" for the Blue Jackets.
Once the regular season begins on Oct. 10, Columbus players will wear a No. 13 patch on their jerseys. All fans attended the Oct. 15 home opener will get a No. 13 patch like the one the players will be wearing.
The team also said it plans to honor the Gaudreaus with a moment of silence prior to their first preseason game on Sept. 25. The Blue Jackets will also hold 50/50 raffles throughout the preseason to benefit the John and Matthew Gaudreau Foundation.