Canadiens’ Cole Caufield to wear No. 13 jersey to honour Johnny Gaudreau as Flames to hold vigil

The Calgary Flames are holding a candlelight vigil for brothers Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau, who were killed while cycling last week by an alleged drunk driver.

The hockey team said it was “inviting fans to come together” as the city and the hockey community mourns their the loss, according to a news release.

The vigil, which is set for 8 p.m. MT (10 p.m. ET) on Wednesday at the Scotiabank Saddledome, will be the first day of a 13-day observance — a nod to the number on Gaudreau’s jersey. Fans will be able to visit the memorial and pay tribute, said the news release.

By Wednesday, the area surrounding the Saddledome had already amassed flowers, jerseys, hockey sticks and other mementos left by fans. The Flames said it would be “relocating a portion of the Gaudreau Memorial” and that they encourage fans to use a different designated area, in a post on X Tuesday.

Gaudreau played for the Flames for nine seasons, starting in 2013. He was signed as a free agent by the Columbus Blue Jackets in July 2022. That month, he wrote about the difficult decision to leave Calgary in an open letter to the city published in The Players’ Tribune.

The Blue Jackets are also expected to host a candlelight vigil for Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau on Wednesday. The vigil is set for 7:30 p.m. ET outside the east entrance of Nationwide Arena in Ohio.

“The vigil will include brief remarks from the Blue Jackets organization, as well as 13 (minutes and) 21 (seconds) of silent remembrance reflecting the number 13 Johnny wore with the Blue Jackets, Calgary Flames and Boston College and the number 21 that Matthew wore at Boston College,” a news release said.

Gaudreau made a lasting impression on Montreal Canadiens player Cole Caufield, who announced on Instagram that he would be changing his number from #22 to #13 in honour of his hero. The two played together on Team USA at this year’s Ice Hockey World Championship.

“Getting to play with your hero is something that most people only dream of. I was lucky enough to be Johnny’s teammate this past summer and it didn’t take long to realize how great of a person he was,” wrote the 23-year-old.

“I wore #13 at a point in my career because of Johnny and now I will be wearing it again to honor him. He paved the way for smaller players and proved we had a future in this game at the highest level. I will forever be grateful to him for inspiring me and others.”

Former Calgary Flames player Jaromir Jagr also shared a message about his time playing with Gaudreau. He posted a video on Instagram of Gaudreau assisting him as he scored the final goal of his NHL career in 2018. In the caption, originally written in Czech, he thanked Gaudreau.

“Unfortunately, life can sometimes be incredibly cruel,” said Jagr, adding that Gaudreau gave “hope to all the guys” with his “incredible performances.”

“My condolences to the whole family,” he wrote. “RIP to you and your brother.”

A fundraiser for Matthew’s wife and unborn child far exceeded its $30,000 goal. It reached more than US$585,000 on Wednesday, less than a week after the brothers were killed.

The names on the list of donors for the GoFundMe campaign included New York Rangers’ Artemi Panarin and Dallas Stars’ Matt Duchene, the Associated Press reported.

The online community on Reddit pointed out that Montreal Canadiens’ Mike Matheson donated as well.

The drunk driver suspected of killing the brothers is due back in court on Thursday.

The man, identified by police as Sean Higgins, made a brief virtual appearance last week.

Higgins has been charged with two counts of death by auto, along with reckless driving, possession of an open container and consuming alcohol in a motor vehicle, AP reported.

Higgins was arrested on Aug. 29, after the Gaudreau brothers were fatally struck by a vehicle in New Jersey. Police said the brothers were pronounced dead at the scene.

Higgins will appear in court Thursday for an arraignment hearing in Salem County, per the Columbus Dispatch.

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