NHL star Sean Monahan broke his silence on longtime friend and teammate Johnny Gaudreau’s tragic death at age 31.
“It’s obviously tough,” Monahan, 29, said during a Wednesday, September 18, press conference. “[I] haven’t really talked publicly about it at all. I still don’t know the exact words to even say, but I’m excited for the season.”
He continued, “We’re going to miss Johnny. I’m going to miss Johnny a lot. It’s something I think about every day. It’s definitely really hard to get through, but we’ve got a great group here. We’re going to miss him as a team.”
Monahan, a hockey center, and Gaudreau, who played forward, were previously teammates on the Calgary Flames. They were set to reunite on the Columbus Blue Jackets for the upcoming season.
Weeks before the preseason start, Johnny and his brother, Matthew Gaudreau, were struck and killed in a car accident. (Matthew was 29.)
Ahead of the Gaudreau brothers’ deaths, Monahan made arrangements to move into Johnny and wife Meredith Gaudreau’s neighborhood. He and Johnny also would have neighboring lockers at the Blue Jackets’ Nationwide Arena.
“I’m actually still sitting beside Johnny,” Monahan said on Wednesday, referring to his locker placement. “Pretty special. I get to [have] that memory every day.”
Monahan was later asked about his favorite memories with Johnny.
“Honestly, I couldn’t pick one,” Monahan revealed. “It’s a little bit of everything. It’s a tough question to answer. I think maybe one of my favorite moments was the day he found out Mer was pregnant for the first time.”
Meredith and Johnny, who share two young children, were gearing up to welcome their third baby. Meredith confirmed her pregnancy during Johnny’s memorial service earlier this month.
Following Johnny’s loss, the Blue Jackets plan to honor his legacy by displaying a memorial inside the arena and keeping his assigned locker as is. A No. 13 jersey (Johnny’s number) will also be packed for every away game.
When the Blue Jackets kick off their preseason with a game against the Buffalo Sabres on Monday, September 23, every team member will wear a “Gaudreau” sticker with two doves, a No. 13 and a No. 21 (Matthew’s number when he played hockey for Boston College) on their helmets. A No. 13 patch will also be stitched on their jerseys.
“There’s a lot of weight on our shoulders right now. There’s a huge loss, a special person who’s not here,” Monahan concluded. “It’s on my mind every day, every second. We want to obviously put our best foot forward and put our best effort out there for Johnny.”