[News] Confirmed: Johnny Gaudreau and brother Matt have passed away

[EVERLAST]

Does anyone have the picture of BSD arms in air already celebrating Johnny scoring while still skating on a breakaway?

Thats how I remember Johnny and his team mates love for #13

[Cali Panthers Fan]

^####...that's the one that hurts the most for me. Poor Meredith.

It's my one thing I'm terrified about, dying young and leaving my wife and kids without a husband/father. COVID and middle age have given me an acute sense of mortality, and now I'm trying really ####ing hard to take good care of myself so that I'm around for them. But then you see how random life is and how a young healthy person can die regardless of all that hard work on themselves, still leaving a hole in the lives of the one he/she cares about the most.

I don't know if it's better that the kids are so young or not? They won't really remember him that much and probably won't know what they're missing, but they'll still feel that void.

Goddam, I'm really broken up about this.

[bluejays]

There are so many sad pieces to this situation - the wedding to be taken place, both brothers having young kids/to be fathers, being at the wrong place at the wrong time, etc. Then I was also thinking, so much of it is because he still seems like a kid. He still had that baby faced look, and given he grew up in the Flames system and we all seen him grow up, it now hits me why it's particularly tough.

[Whynotnow]

What an awful tragedy and terrible time for his family and friends. To all of you, my rival fans I aim also sorry for what you are going through. He played for the other guys in my world, but man was he skilled and tenacious, I didn’t like it when he left, because I loved watching the rivalry. We invest a lot of emotional energy in being fans and so losses like this feel acute. We can also talk a lot of smack about others teams, cities , players and fans but at the end of the day it’s a game and there’s real people - fathers, husbands, sons, brothers - playing it.

Again, my sympathies to all of you guys and girls. One day you will watch the videos and smile, but even today, as an Oilers fan they hit me hard. Take care all.

[Flames_F.T.W]

Apologies if this has been asked and answered... But what happens to a player's contract in this situation? Does Meredith and the kids get the money owed to him? Is their insurance on signed deals for these situations? Just spent 20mins googling it but couldn't find an answer

[Royle9]

It’s been confirmed the contract is insured and payed out in full to his wife, so yes she’s taken care of financially.

Great post by Meredith, can’t imagine having to do that.
Still can’t believe this is real, thinking hockey just feels different.

[mivdo]

It is hitting me hard today now that the initial shock is over. Seeing pictures of Johnny with his kids just kill me. My heart goes out to thier family and friends.

Like has been mentioned, seeing him develop from an undersized skilled late round pick to one of the most dynamic players we have ever seen is like watching someone close to you grow up. Being excited to watch his first games as a flames, the hype was incredible.

Watching all the interviews, whether good or bad, you end up "knowing" that person. Seeing Guy at his games was always a treat seeing the excitement of a father for a son. Having Matty in the system was probably exciting for the whole family. His close bond with Monahan.

When he left it was almost like being personally wronged. Probably a testament of how much Johnny was loved by flames fans.
I have multiple Gaudreau jerseys I will forever be proud to wear.

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by Royle9

It’s been confirmed the contract is insured and payed out in full to his wife, so yes she’s taken care of financially.

Great post by Meredith, can’t imagine having to do that.
Still can’t believe this is real, thinking hockey just feels different.

I think the insurance would get paid out to the team. The contract is not insured, Johnny’s life is insured, as is every player in the NHL.

The Blue Jackets are still contractually liable to pay Johnny’s salary to his estate.

So, Meredith gets the money in any event.

[BigThief]

Originally Posted by AC

https://www.instagram.com/p/C_VNIC_R...5jcDR1NXg3dmhr
https://www.instagram.com/p/C_VOITPx...VubXlyZWQyNQ==

Meredith's posts about Johnny.

Those posts are incredible, you don't see such personal photos posted often. By all accounts Meredith Gaudreau is an amazing person. Her two previous posts are nothing but praise for her sister who seemed to have moved to Columbus to be with her and help raise her kids. The fact anyone was so dismissive of her, calling her "the wife" and "blaming" her for their move back to America disgusted me at the time and it still does. If none of us knew it at the time, we've learned it now that family means alot to the Gaudreau's and their extended family. Maybe Johnny's biggest goal of his move to the Blue Jackets wasn't about winning, maybe it was about being with and supporting his family, and that's okay, that's something to be supported not hated.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by The Cobra

I think the insurance would get paid out to the team. The contract is not insured, Johnny’s life is insured, as is every player in the NHL.

The Blue Jackets are still contractually liable to pay Johnny’s salary to his estate.

So, Meredith gets the money in any event.

I don’t think the Blues are “contractually liable to pay Johnny’s salary” unless the insurance policy provide last for it. His playing contract is no longer in effect. It’s been frustrated.

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by GullFoss

The CBA seems to read that an insurance policy of $1m + 1-year salary insurance for accidental death. So not his entire contract amount would be paid out. I suppose there's also the driver's insurance company that would pay out something as well.

Did you just make up what you posted?

You missed the fact that NHL contracts are fully guaranteed, so the blue jackets still need to make payments on Johnny’s contract. How they fund that contract, from insurance they bought or from internal sources is their business.

[Gaudfather]

For Johnny!

https://twitter.com/user/status/1829664245254123687

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by The Cobra

You missed the fact that NHL contracts are fully guaranteed, so the blue jackets still need to make payments on Johnny’s contract. How they fund that contract, from insurance they bought or from internal sources is their business.

I don’t think that’s what the CBA excerpt says. It mandates insurance coverage for one years salary. The CBJ is not obligated to pay a salary under the players contract - that contract is now gone and incapable of being performed.

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

I don’t think the Blues are “contractually liable to pay Johnny’s salary” unless the insurance policy provide last for it. His playing contract is no longer in effect. It’s been frustrated.

If a player suffers a career ending injury he continues to get paid, although the contract would be equally frustrated? Teams have to pay in that situation. I assume that the CBA provides otherwise, so the frustration concept would not be applicable. While the contract may no longer count in terms of cap and contract numbers in effect, the obligation of the team to honour the payments under it still exist.

The amount of insurance that a team actually carries would not affect how much money the estate will get, it will get the full value of his contract. Otherwise, if they chose to carry a lesser number, the estate would suffer.

[redforever]

Originally Posted by Cali Panthers Fan

^####...that's the one that hurts the most for me. Poor Meredith.

It's my one thing I'm terrified about, dying young and leaving my wife and kids without a husband/father. COVID and middle age have given me an acute sense of mortality, and now I'm trying really ####ing hard to take good care of myself so that I'm around for them. But then you see how random life is and how a young healthy person can die regardless of all that hard work on themselves, still leaving a hole in the lives of the one he/she cares about the most.

I don't know if it's better that the kids are so young or not? They won't really remember him that much and probably won't know what they're missing, but they'll still feel that void.

Goddam, I'm really broken up about this.

Wow, all of the pictures she posted of her and Johnny and the kids. You can see what family really meant to him.

[Gaudfather]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1829735291651047760

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by AC

https://www.instagram.com/p/C_VNIC_R...5jcDR1NXg3dmhr
https://www.instagram.com/p/C_VOITPx...VubXlyZWQyNQ==

Meredith's posts about Johnny.

Thanks for posting these. It seems that based on Meredith posting these, her strength will carry her through this tragedy. That is nice to know and very comforting.

[Max Cow Disease]

Originally Posted by bluejays

There are so many sad pieces to this situation - the wedding to be taken place, both brothers having young kids/to be fathers, being at the wrong place at the wrong time, etc. Then I was also thinking, so much of it is because he still seems like a kid. He still had that baby faced look, and given he grew up in the Flames system and we all seen him grow up, it now hits me why it's particularly tough.

I think this is quite true. It would have had a large impact had this happened to any player Flames fans are so familiar with, but the whole situation seems to receive a little extra top spin from the fact that Johnny truly did just seem like a big kid playing the game he loved. No rich athlete pompousness, no tendency to take things for granted, and yes, still just a big old baby face.

One obscure memory that sticks out to me about Johnny's early days in Calgary was his reference to coaches as "Coach -last name-". In interviews he'd always mention "Coach Hartley". It's a tendency he dropped after not long given that it isn't really how NHL players speak, but always struck me as a charming and wholesome insight in to how humble he was.

[gargamel]

Had to wear my old Gaudreauby Baker Boston College shirt tonight. No one here in Phnom Penh knew what it meant, but it felt right.

[Rhett44]

That video of the guy who killed them really angers me. He seems annoyed that he has to stay in jail for the week.

I wonder when it will hit him that he killed 2 people, and destroyed so many peoples lives who will be affected forever.