[Howie_16]

I don't think that any Flames player in the next 25, 50 or probably 100 years from now would ever ask to wear #13 even if it wasn't officially retired. Johnny Gaudreau's impact extends far, far beyond Calgary, Columbus & Southern New Jersey.

I expect that many books will be written and likely a movie will be made about his life and the odds he overcame to have a successful career that was cut short by a tragic accident.

The Flames will retire the number, that only question remains is how do they go about it. Of course they will connect with the family and the Blue Jackets in due course, but I expect that the banner goes up this season (either Opening Night vs. Philadelphia or when Columbus comes to town) without the family being present.

The family will return to Calgary when they are ready, and that time might be appropriate for a Gaudreau statute unvieling at Scotia Place. I would think the pose would be Johnny's reaction after that Game 7 OT winner over Dallas.

Another statute I expect to eventually see at Scotia Place would be Lanny McDonald, with his pose being after his Game 6 goal on Patrick Roy or one of him hoisting the Stanley Cup above his head. Maybe Mike Vernon's glove save off of Stan Smyl and Jarome Iginla's helmetless "Shift" in the 2004 SCF? I also think that these other statutes should be done posthumously. There is something odd about statutes of people who are still alive, like the Gretzky statute in Edmonton or the Bobby Orr statute in Boston.