The hockey world was shaken by the news of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau's tragic passing last Thursday night. Johnny Gaudreau's fellow NHLers, media, and alumni flooded social media with tributes to the skilled forward affectionately known as "Johnny Hockey." Gaudreau inspired undersized players who were told they wouldn't make it in the NHL and excelled at every level despite being smaller than everyone else on the ice, showing fellow short players they could do the same. Canadiens fans will be forever grateful to Johnny for inspiring Cole Caufield to chase his dream of being an NHL player.
Who can forget Caufield's debut when he lined up alongside Gaudreau for the opening faceoff? It was a special "Welcome to the NHL" moment for a player who got to stand side-by-side with his hero. Caufield had another thrill this past offseason when he played with Gaudreau on Team USA at the World Hockey Championship.
Caufield found a way to make a touching tribute to Gaudreau for the upcoming season, as he will change his number from 22 to 13. Caufield said in a recent Instagram post that he once wore 13 to honour his hero and will now do the same at the NHL level.
Caufield shared some incredible words on his Instagram post, showing Gaudreau's impact on his career. There have been nothing but beautiful tributes to Johnny Hockey, showing that he was as great of a person off the ice as he was on it. We hope that Caufield's gesture will be something that the Gaudreau family can be proud of, and we also express our deepest condolences to them in the wake of the tragedy.