Canadian national team star Cole Caufield will remember his late friend Johnny Gaudreau every time he takes to the court this season.
Caufield announced Tuesday that he would change his jersey number from 22 to 13 in honor of the former Blue Jackets star who was killed along with his brother, Matthew, by a suspected drunk driver in New Jersey last week, the day before his sister's wedding.
Gaudreau and Caufield were teammates on the U.S. team at the 2024 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship in May of this year.
“These last few years playing as No. 22 have been the best years of my life. It really has been a dream come true and I will forever hold those memories and that number in my heart.” Caufield wrote in an Instagram post featuring his new jersey.“I wore the number 13 for Jonny at one point in my career and will now wear it again to honour him. He paved the way for smaller players and proved that there was a future at the highest level of the game. I will be forever grateful to him for being an inspiration to me and others.”
“Rest in peace Johnny Hockey.”
Gaudreau made his debut in 2014, seven years before Caufield took to the ice for Montreal for the first time. He wore No. 53 in his first season and No. 13 for the next 10 seasons.
The two never shared an NHL locker room together, but they competed against each other while Gaudreau played for the Flames from 2013-2022 and then the Blue Jackets the following two seasons.
As Caufield noted in his post, Gaudreau excelled despite being 5-foot-9 and weighing 163 pounds. Caufield is 5-foot-8 and weighs 175 pounds, but the forward has been a key player for the Canadiens.
The short time the two spent together as U.S. national teammates had a profound impact on Caufield, and his desire to make this change for the 2024-25 season speaks volumes.
That passionate feeling seems to be the common impression the brothers left on their acquaintances.
“We lost some amazing people on and off the ice in this tragic loss last week,” Caufield captioned the post, which included photos of the pair with their new jerseys and competing in 2021. “My heartfelt condolences to the entire Gaudreau family, especially Johnny's wife and two children, whom I had the honor of meeting. While nothing can ever fill the void in their hearts for their families and loved ones, I hope they can take some solace in knowing that these two positively impacted so many lives. They will truly be missed.”
“Playing alongside your hero is something most people dream of. I was fortunate enough to be Johnny's teammate this summer and I quickly learned what an incredible person he was. He was the warmest, most genuine and funniest person I've ever met. Everyone was drawn to him, so I made sure to spend as much time as I could with him. Not only was he a great hockey player and teammate, he was a down to earth person who genuinely cared about everyone he met.”
