What posted on my FB profile today.
It's 2011 and I am on the Calgarypuck website checking who the team drafted through rounds 2-7 and I read with our 4th round pick we selected Johnny Gaudreau. I had know idea who the hell this kid was but seeing his draft picture I am like wtf? This kid looks 8 years old and is about the same size! My second thought was he will never play in the NHL, a Chara fart would send this kid crashing into the boards. Why in the hell would the Flames draft such a tiny player as high as 4th? I started researching his junior career and watched video I could find and it quickly became obvious why the Flames would take a gamble, his skill was off the charts. I have always cheered for the little guy in hockey, my favourite all time player being Theo Fleury, a little ball of attitude and anger that he unleashed on the ice every night combined with a high skillset. I quickly became a big fan of Gaudreau before he even got a chance to play his first game in a Flames jersey at the Pentincton Classic. When I watched his junior game I quickly saw he could survive in the NHL because his ability to turn on a dime combined with his edgework, shiftiness, and keeping himself out of vulnerable situations would allow him to do so. I watched him play at the World Juniors in 2013, absolutely dominating the the opposition and leading his team to gold. Then the Classic where he also dominated, scoring highlight reel goals and torching the opposition. I remember the excitement of hearing he would play the final game of the 2013-2014 season to burn a year off his deal, he scored the only Flames goal that night on his first NHL shot. A star was being born. There are way too many great memories to post here, the all star games, the hat trick against the Ducks to single handedly win the game after trailing going into the 3rd, all the ridiculous highlight reel plays he made. Also of course, the game winner against Dallas in game 7 OT.
On July 12th 2022 as Gaudreau was approaching possibly becoming a free agent the Flames and Gaudreau's agent reached a long term 8 year deal. Before putting pen to ink though Johnny's new wife convinced him to sign in the US and the next day he signed a 7 year deal with Columbus. I was upset, angry, and shocked! How could he leave? He was easily on pace to become the franchises greatest hockey player, surpassing every record in the books. Columbus?? They are terrible and have a small fan base. Wtf!! I resented my former favourite player for abandoning my team and putting his family values first, I was wrong. Johnny had become a new husband and was a soon to be dad, his family all in the US and his dad coming off a heart attack scare. During the pandemic players could not get back to their families across border, what if that happened again? After last nights tragedy so much has come out about how much Gaudreau still wished he was playing for Calgary. How he watched the Flames games whenever he could after he left. How he still constantly called friends in the media like Ryan Leslie almost every game. This was a guy who sacrificed what he wanted in his career for the sake of being with his family and that is amazing! I am beyond sad for his parents, his mom Jane and his dad Guy who became a celebrity in Calgary in his own right. His two sisters, one of whom was supposed to have her wedding today, I can't imagine. Especially for his wife Meredith and their two children, Noa age 2 and Johnny Jr, 5 months old.
Drunk drivers have had such an impact on my life, from my parents accident, my own accident, and now this tragedy. It is a senseless wreckless act and it is inexcusable. If you have been drinking find a safe way home!
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