FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Matthew Tkachuk estimated that he tells a story about Johnny Gaudreau’s exploits, both the on-ice and off-ice variety, to somebody at least once a week.
And he’s not going to stop, either.
Tkachuk spoke Wednesday about the death of his longtime friend and former teammate, calling Gaudreau “the most offensively talented player I’ve ever seen.” Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew, were killed on Aug. 29 when police said they were struck by a suspected drunken driver while they were riding bicycles on a rural road in New Jersey.
“It was such an honor to play with him,” Tkachuk said at Florida’s media day, the first formal event of the new season for the Panthers as they prepare to open their defense of the Stanley Cup. “And you guys all saw what he did on the ice. I was the lucky one out of everybody in this room to have a great relationship with him off. So those are the memories I will take. But it’s been terrible. It really has.”
Gaudreau and Tkachuk were teammates in Calgary for six seasons. Tkachuk was traded to Florida in summer 2022, the offseason in which Gaudreau left the Flames to play for the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Gaudreau and his younger brother were killed near their childhood home in South Jersey the evening before they were set to serve as groomsmen at their sister Katie’s wedding. The driver who police say struck them is charged with two counts of death by auto, along with reckless driving, possession of an open container and consuming alcohol in a motor vehicle.
“It’s been terrible,” Tkachuk said. “It really has.”
The tributes for Gaudreau and his brother have been constant since their deaths and won’t end anytime soon. Tkachuk and the Panthers will be the opponent in Columbus on Oct. 15 when the Blue Jackets play their first regular-season home game since Gaudreau was killed, a game certain to be incredibly emotional.
“Johnny is one of my favorite teammates that I’ve ever played with. Such a great friend,” Tkachuk said. “It doesn’t matter if you knew them or played against them or even if you just have a sibling, everybody can relate to this. And it’s been terrible. I’m always going to carry something…
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