The Columbus Blue Jackets are preparing for the 2025 season with heavy hearts, as the deaths of forward Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew on Aug. 29 loom large over their upcoming campaign.
On Wednesday, the Blue Jackets revealed in a release how they intended to honor their fallen star.
Columbus will wear a helmet sticker paying tribute to Johnny and Matthew throughout the season—depicting two doves with the word "GAUDREAU" and the numbers 13 and 21. Johnny and Matthew wore those numbers as Boston College teammates in 2014.
Additionally, the Blue Jackets will wear Johnny's number 13 as a patch throughout '25.
Johnny and Matthew were riding their bicycles on Aug. 29 when they were struck and killed by an alleged drunk driver in their native New Jersey. They were 31 and 29, respectively; their deaths triggered an outpouring of grief across the hockey world.
Columbus is scheduled to open its season on Oct. 10 against the Minnesota Wild.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Blue Jackets to Honor the Late Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau on 2024-25 Uniforms.
