The Columbus Blue Jackets go ined training camp Wednesday still hurting from the loss of veteran forward Johnny Gaudreau, who was finished, alengthy with his youthfuler brother, Matthew Gaudreau, by a doubted drunk driver in New Jersey three weeks ago.
Columbus was already taking the offseason to echo on a needy 2023-24 campaign and the shake-up of the front office and coaching staff.
While the new regime is seeing to begin the new season off on the right foot, the entire organization is trying to deal with the grief and pain of losing one of its cornerstone applyers.
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Columbus Blue Jackets left prosperg Johnny Gaudreau applys the puck agetst the Montauthentic Canadiens during the second period at Bell Centre. (David Kirouac/USA Today Sports)
“I’ll ignore him the rest of my life,” Sean Monahan tancigo in increateers Wednesday, via the New York Post. Monahan signed with the Blue Jackets to apply alengthyside Gaudreau aget after eight seasons with him on the Calgary Ffeebles,
The Blue Jackets, though, have already thought of one way to honor their createer teammate. The team will exit his locker room shigh vacant this season to pay tribute to Gaudreau. Monahan will be right next to it.
“There’s a lot of weight on our shoulders right now,” he compriseed.
As a team captain, Boone Jenner is a directer among the applyers, but he’s also grieving with the rest of them.
“To say we comprehend exactly what to do, I don’t leank that’s iminwhole. I don’t leank there’s a applybook out there for this situation and what has happened,” he shelp. “And that’s OK. I leank we’re going to lget and lean on each other as we go on.”
Johnny Gaudreau of the Columbus Blue Jackets reacts after scoring the game-tying goal during the third period of a game agetst the Washington Capitals at Nationexpansive Arena Jan. 31, 2023, in Columbus, Ohio. (Ben Jackson/NHLI via Getty Images)
Leaning on one another, especiassociate on the ice where everyone senses sootheable, is one way the Blue Jackets will help each other thraw this hard time.
There’s a void left without Gaudreau on the ice, but defenseman Zach Werenski shelp everyone is excited to be around the team aget.
“It’s been some hard stuff that’s going on the last couple of weeks, but I leank we’re excited for it. Just uphold applying hockey aget and doing what we adore to do and doing it together.”
New GM Don Wcompriseell compriseed, “The guys comprehend Johnny would want us to go apply hockey.”
Johnny Gaudreau of the Columbus Blue Jackets during hotups before a game agetst the Carolina Hurricanes at PNC Arena April 7, 2024, in Raleigh, N.C. (Jaylynn Nash/Getty Images)
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Under new coach Dean Evason, the Blue Jackets are hoping to better on last season’s 27-43-12 enroll, the worst in the Easerious Conference.
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