COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Tuesday was a special – and emotional – night inside Nationwide Arena as the Columbus Blue Jackets played their first home game of the new season, but fueled with emotions like never before.
Blue Jacket Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew died Aug. 29 near the family home in New Jersey. They were out for a bike ride the night before their sister’s wedding when they were hit and killed by a suspected drunk driver.
Johnny Gaudreau was one of the top-scoring players in the NHL and was set to start his third season as a Blue Jacket.
"It's bittersweet," fan Emily Capps said. "You get really excited for opening night, and then it's, but then it's the memory of everything."
Johnny Gaudreau was a family man who chose to be a Blue Jacket and chose to raise his family in Columbus.
"There's obviously a sadness in the air, but it's awesome to see the fans and the memorials they've put together," said Blue Jackets fan Logan Capps.
Unfortunately, the Jackets came up a little short against the Stanley Cup-defending Florida Panthers, who won 4-3.
A memorial to the brothers built by the team is filled with tributes compiled from the vigils and memorial services honoring the Gaudreaus.
More than 20 members of the Gaudreau family attended Tuesday’s home opener against the Florida Panthers, including Johnny’s wife Meredith and their children. Meredith and the children spent time at the memorial before the game; their daughter was wearing a 13 jersey. The name across the back was Daddy.
Johnny Gaudreau earned the nickname Johnny Hockey honestly. Hockey was a passion he shared with his brother and most notably, their father.
For fans, Johnny Gaudreau coming to Columbus meant one thing.
"Hope," fan Allen Hawk said. "We were so bad for so long, to get a player like Johnny that wanted to play in Columbus, it meant the world to me as a fan. I remember jumping around screaming, 'There's no way we got Johnny.'"
The fans welcomed him with open arms during his first two seasons as he quickly became a fan favorite.
"To hear what happened, I mean, it was just the opposite, you know?" Hawk said. "Just that sinking feeling, you know? Hey, it's more than hockey, it's the man."
The number 13 was seen all over the arena -- on jerseys, on signs, and on patches handed out to every fan excited for the start of a new season, but missing Johnny Hockey.
"They're going to come together as a team just to remember Johnny and play the best they can," Emily Capps said.
The organization said it knew Johnny's jersey number would be seen throughout the stands, saying it was comforting for the players and the Gaudreau family.'
The Blue Line Store is also doing something special to honor the Gaudreau boys.
Starting Tuesday at Nationwide’s store and online, the store started selling t-shirts and pucks with a special 13/21 logo representing Johnny and Matthew’s jersey numbers. It’s the same logo Blue Jackets players will be wearing all season.
There are 1,000 of each available, all donated by local companies, with 100 percent of the profits going to the John and Matthew Gaudreau Foundation.
When the Gaudreau brothers died on Aug. 29, the entire Blue Jackets organization scrambled to find the right note to honor the family while also dealing with grief themselves.
The Jackets employ dozens of people who work behind the scenes to make gamedays a reality, and many of those people were the driving force behind the memorials for the home opener and all of the days ahead.
