This piece is going to be about Johnny Gaudreau because he is the player that I watched, was inspired by, and left me in awe with his dazzling skill time and time again. Even though I will not be primarily talking about his brother Matthew, who was also tragically lost as well, that does not mean that his passing will be remissed at all. From everything I have heard, Matthew was a hell of a player, a great friend and teammate, and overall a genuinely great guy who will be dearly missed as well. With that being said, let’s get to what Johnny Gaudreau will be remembered for, as well as what he taught us throughout his journey. There are 3 key life lessons that Johnny’s journey made me come to realize, and they are hard to see even with your eyes wide open. You may think you are aware of these lessons, and they may sound cliche, but in our day-to-day lives, these lessons pass us by without one second of hesitation.
Lesson 1) Do what makes you happy, do it a lot, and get as good as you possibly can be at it. Whether it’s sports, art, music, science, or anything in-between, do what makes you happy, and do it a lot. It can be a job or a hobby, but whatever it is, do it with conviction. Johnny Gaudreau was not supposed to be a thing. The man at his biggest and strongest was about 5’8 and around 160 lbs. He was a 4th round pick, scrawny, short, and not very scrappy. He quite simply knew what he wanted to do, and became so talented at it that he would not be denied. He was so little and young looking that when he went to his first NHL training camp, the security guards didn’t believe that he was a professional hockey player, so they didn’t let him in. Johnny was late to camp, no fault of his own. He was little and had a baby face heading into camp, but Johnny knew he was starting a hockey career that would be remembered. His determination and belief in himself allowed him to triumph over the doubters; and his dazzling talent and slippery creativity allowed him to dominate opposing defenses and goaltenders. Johnny knew he loved hockey, and he played the game with an unbridled joy that most players can’t comprehend. He only missed around a dozen games due to injury over an 11 year NHL career. At his size, that is incomprehensible in such a gauntlet of a league. The year before Johnny signed his 7 year contract in Columbus, he scored 115 points, which is the 2nd most all time in a single season by a US born player. 77 of those points were even strength primary points, which is the most by a winger since Jari Kurri in 1985. What this tells us is that on an even playing field, Johnny dominated, and created plays on his own; he was the playmaking showstopper. He played 14,485 minutes of NHL hockey in 763 career games, averaging 19 minutes of ice per game. In those games he only committed 176 penalty minutes, and earned a Lady Byng Trophy as the most gentlemanly player in the NHL. This trophy should be newly named “the Johnny Gaudreau award”. Having won the award, as well as being a beloved 7 time all-star should qualify him to have that award named after him. Johnny didn’t care what any scouts said, he was not going to be stopped. That is the first life lesson that Johnny taught us. To do what you love, and do it till you almost master it. Without that determination, Johnny Gaudreau would not have the legacy that he now has earned.
May 20, 2022; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Calgary Flames left wing Johnny Gaudreau (13) skates during the warmup period against the Edmonton Oilers in game two of the second round of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Saddledome. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports
Lesson 2) Unapologetically be yourself, fitting in is boring. Everyone is different, embrace your originality; only you can be you, you are one of one. Johnny lived this way with an exclamation point, and if you didn’t like him (which was impossible), then you can go to hell in his eyes. This is the way everyone should live. Don’t pretend to be someone you aren’t to appease others. If someone is truly your friend, then they will love you for you, period. Johnny showed these values every single day. He was a kid at heart and everyone knew that about him. He wore sweat pants every day, ate junk food, and had messy hair. That was Johnny. He wasn’t going to eat what people thought he should; he was going to eat grilled cheese, skittles, Kraft dinner, sauceless spaghetti, and ham and cheese sandwiches. He wasn’t going to wear designer jeans out on the town, he wore what was most comfortable for him. Johnny wasn’t going to show up 15 minutes early when he could show up 30 seconds early. Johnny didn’t even know how to cash his first NHL pay check, his best buddy Kevin Hayes had to show him how to deposit his money in a bank. Rumor has it that Johnny tried to deposit that check in an ATM, and Kevin Hayes couldn’t believe what he was looking at. That is who Johnny was, and he was that way unapologetically, which is admirable. Johnny was a kid at heart, who are you?
Lesson 3) Show empathy and kindness to others, even strangers, but above all else, those closest to you. Like I said in the second lesson, everyone is different with a different journey, and those different paths can lead to intense choices. Even if your past is unimaginably traumatic and depressing, showing empathy and kindness to others generally leads to positive relationships and results. This can be a difficult lesson to realize, since everyone has to be a little selfish every day in order to survive, and everyone is always in a hurry. The reason why Johnny had such a turnout at his vigils in Calgary and Columbus, was because he showed the overwhelming majority of people in his life both kindness and empathy. Like Cole Sillinger iterated in his speech at the vigil, Johnny didn’t make his teammates sweat the little things. If someone made a mistake on the ice, Johnny showed them empathy; if someone said something with animosity off the ice, Johnny showed them kindness and understanding. We all have different stories and relationships. Some of us have great friends and a subpar family. Some of us have minimal friends but a great family. Regardless of who you are close to, even on our worst days, show those closest to you kindness and empathy. You never know when any particular person’s journey will end. Johnny was born in the same year as me, 1993, we just entered our 30’s, his journey was not supposed to end. Even though it did in a tragic way, everyone who was close to Johnny knew how much they meant to him. That is the power of this third lesson that Johnny taught me. If you have damaged relationships that you care about, repair them, and always tell your loved ones how much they mean to you. Johnny’s friends and family knew how much he loved them; do your friends and family know how much you do?
These lessons and values are easily looked past in every day life, but are necessary and important to be remembered. Johnny may not be with us anymore, but his legacy will live on forever. The reasons why are because he did what he loved, treated everyone with kindness, and was unapologetically himself. Johnny was a unique person with an infectious personality, and that is how he will be remembered. It also doesn’t hurt that he had eyes in the back of his head on the ice, and had magic hands with lightning in his fingertips. Rest easy Johnny and Matty, your journeys may be over, but your legacies are just beginning.