COLUMBUS, Ohio — Johnny Gaudreau crossed Ryan Pulock’s mind on the plane to Columbus on Tuesday night, and that does not make Pulock unique. It is hard not to have the former Blue Jackets superstar at front of mind on the ground here in central Ohio.
Gaudreau’s face is still on the marquee outside Nationwide Arena, the Blue Jackets having left it up in tribute. His No. 13 jersey is displayed in the building’s windows.
The screens outside the building display a message memorializing Johnny and his brother, Matthew, who were both killed by an alleged drunk driver while biking in Oldmans Township, N.J., on Aug. 29.
Walking into the Blue Jackets dressing room, where his locker has been left untouched, feels like intruding on someone else’s grief, even as the whole hockey world shares in it.
“I was fortunate enough to play with Johnny at a few World Championships [in 2017 and 2018], had some wonderful times with him,” Anders Lee said Tuesday, a day before the Islanders faced the Blue Jackets for the first time this season. “Not just on the ice, but away from it, having fun. You’ve heard a lot about him, but he is such a solid guy. He is a special person and special talent.”
Lee had the pleasure of traipsing around Cologne, Germany; Herning, Denmark; and Copenhagen — where World Championships were held in 2017 and ’18 — with Gaudreau as part of Team USA, taking home bronze with a win over Canada in the latter tournament.
“We go over there and you play in the World Championships, get to meet a lot of the guys, see a lot of the guys you’ve played against and get to play for your country, which is pretty special,” Lee said. “But you go and play hard and there’s also opportunities to have some fun. Had some fun with Johnny and the team, enjoying each other’s company, a few drinks and hanging out. And those are the memories that I’ll be taking with me getting to know Johnny.
“Really fun away from the rink, but also played on a line with him in one of the tournaments. Just the good hockey that we played, the way he made it easy with his talent. He’ll put it on your tape for you.”
Brock Nelson was part of that 2017 team as well as last summer’s Team USA at World Championships in Czechia, the last competition in which Gaudreau took part before the accident.
“I think he was a really happy guy. Really soft-spoken, reserved, just quiet and went about his business,” Nelson said. “A great teammate and friend to many guys, meant a lot as a hockey player, but beyond that, [as a] brother, husband, father, son. And was just a good guy and comes from a good family, so it’s just a horrible situation and tragedy.”
In a more just world, Gaudreau would be leading a Blue Jackets team that has started a pleasant 4-3-1, and the Islanders would have been answering questions about how to slow him down on the ice.
Maybe Gaudreau would have spent Wednesday morning answering questions about the Islanders’ 2022 pursuit of him in free agency, when he shocked the hockey world by signing a seven-year deal with Columbus.
Instead, like every other team that comes through Columbus, the Islanders were reflecting fondly on their memories of No. 13.
“I think for anybody that knew Johnny, I think the first time going back there, it’ll bring up a lot of memories for guys and different emotions,” Nelson said. “It’s sad. There’s not much to say beyond that and just giving the family anything you can. Support, thoughts, prayers. Just try to remember Johnny and the times you had. He was a special person.”
