Sport: Hockey
Born: August 13, 1993
Died: August 29, 2024
Town: Salem, New Jersey
John Michael Gaudreau was born August 13, 1993 in Salem., NJ Johnny grew up playing baseball in the summer and hockey in the winter and, despite being somewhat undersized, he developed into a terrific left wing in the local youth hockey leagues. He attended Gloucester Catholic Junior & Senior High School in Gloucester City, where his dad coached hockey for more than a decade. Another future NHL player, Buddy Robinson, also attended the school. They were members of the first Rams hockey team, in 2006–2007. The pair led the team to a state title in 2009–10. Johnny’s brother Matty also played for the Rams.
Johnny was selected by the Dubuque Fighting Saints in the 2010 USHL draft. The USHL is the top amateur junior league in the US. Johnny led the team to the Clark Cup and also played in the USHL All-Star Game. He was named USHL Rookie of the Year after the season. Johnny finished up high school in Dubuque and accepted a scholarship to Northeastern.
That spring, Johnny was selected by the Calgary Flames in 4th round of the NHL Draft. At 5’6” he was the shortest player taken. He would grow three more inches in college, but it wouldn’t be at Northeastern. When the school’s coach quit to join the Toronto Maple Leafs organization, Johnny renounced his commitment and accepted a scholarship from Boston College instead.
At BC, Johnny blossomed into a superstar. He was the nation’s top-scoring freshman, the MVP of the 2012 Beanpot Tournament and a key man in the Eagles’ run to the national championship. Johnny became the team’s standout star as a sophomore in 2012–13, and led the nation with 1.46 points per game. At the 2013 World Juniors, he helped Team USA win a gold medal with 7 goals in 7 games. Johnny was named Hockey East Player of the Year and was a first-team All-American. He was also a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award.
Johnny won the Baker Award as a junior in 2013. His third college season was extra special because Matty was now wearing a BC uniform, too. Playing on a line with Bill Arnold and Kevin Hayes, the young man fans now called “Johnny Hockey” amassed 80 points in 40 games, and had a 31-game scoring streak that tied a mark set in the 1990s by Paul Kariya. The same day Johnny received the Baker Award, he signed a contract with the Flames. He could have played in the NHL a year earlier, but wanted to spend a season with his brother in college. In skipping his senior season, Johnny promised his mom he would finish his degree. Johnny made his debut in Calgary’s final game, and scored a goal on his first shot.
Johnny became one of the Flames’ top players the following season. He scored 24 goals and led all NHL rookies with 40 assists. In the playoffs, Johnny scored 4 goals in 11 games as Calgary defeated the Canucks in the opening round before falling to Anaheim. Johnny was a finalist for the Calder Trophy, but lost out to Aaron Ekbald. He also got to play in the All-Star Game, replacing one of Team Toews’ injured players. At season’s end, Johnny was named to the NHL All-Rookie Team; he had been Rookie of the Month twice during the season.
Johnny didn’t miss a beat in 2015–16. He led the Flames in goals and assists, reaching the 30-goal plateau and adding 48 assists. Johhny’s 78 points ranked 6th in the NHL, and only Jamie Benn of the Dallas Stars scored more points as a left wing. Johnny was also one of 9 players to record multiple hat tricks. He recorded three or more points in a game 9 times. Unfortunately, the Flames fell short of the 2016 playoffs.
A broken finger suffered early in 2016–17 cost Johnny 10 games, but did not prevent him from making his third straight All-Star Game. He finished the season with 61 points on 18 goals and 43 assists. Johnny was whistled for just two penalties during the year, which helped to earn him the Lady Byng Trophy, which recognizes the player who best combines skill and sportsmanship. The Flames finished atop the Pacific Division, and their 45 wins were the most in the Western Conference. Calgary entered the playoffs with high hopes but the Anaheim Ducks swept them in the first round.
Johnny continued to boost his numbers in the years that followed, topping 60 assist in 2017–18 and 2018–19. He was also a member of the US team at the 2018 World Championships, helping the American snag a bronze medal with 8 assists.
In 2021–22, at the age of 28, Johnny had a true breakout year for the Flames, netting 40 goals and adding 75 assists for 115 points—his first year in triple-digits and second in the Art Ross Trophy race to Conor McDavid. Johnny was part of a historic high-scoring line that included Matthew Tkachuk and Elias Lindholm, who scored 42 goals apiece. It was the first time three NHL linemates all topped 40 goals in nearly three decades.
In the 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs, Johnny scored the overtime game-winner in Game 7 against the Dallas Stars in the opening round. It was his second game-winning goal of the series. Although Calgary fell to the Oilers in the next round, Johnny had taken an important step in his carer, matching his regular-season brilliance with a clutch performance in the postseason.
After the playoffs, Johnny was named left wing on the NHL All-Star first team. He hit the free agent market and surprised many when he turned down big offers from the Flames, Devils and Islanders to play instead for the Columbus Blue Jackets. Injuries nagged the club all year, resulting in the second-worst record in the league. However, Johnny continued to be a standout, leading the Blue Jackets with 74 points and representing the team in the All-Star Game. The 2023–24 campaign wasn’t much better. Although he was mostly healthy, Johnny’s scoring sank to 60 points and Columbus finished in the Metropolitan Division cellar.
During the summer of 2024, Johnny and his brother, Matty, were cycling in Salem County when a drunk driver plowed into them while trying to pass other cars. Both brothers were pronounced dead on the scene. They had been in town for the wedding of their sister, Katie, and went out for a twilight ride.