Capitals' Andrew Mangiapane Still Mourning Passing Of Johnny Gaudreau, Calls Former Teammate A 'Role Model' & 'Best Friend'

ARLINGTON, V.A. — With heavy emotions on Friday, Washington Capitals forward Andrew Mangiapane admitted that he still can't truly process the death of former teammate and friend Johnny Gaudreau.

Johnny and his brother, Matthew, were killed on Aug. 29 when they were hit by a suspected drunk driver while riding their bicycles in their hometown. Johnny was 31, and Matthew was 29.

Mangiapane and Gaudreau were teammates for years with the Calgary Flames and made strong impacts in the game. However, their dynamic went beyond the ice, as the two formed a close bond. Gaudreau was one of the best men at Mangiapane's wedding.

"Johnny was... one of my best friends in hockey. So definitely very sad, definitely going to miss him," Mangiapane said, adding, "It still doesn't make sense to me. I don't think it ever will."

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Mangiapane had joined the Capitals for informal skates back in late August and took time away from the ice to make his way up to Media, Pennsylvania, to attend the Guadreaus' funeral. He was one of Johnny's pallbearers, along with former teammate Sean Monahan among others.

"I was able to go to the funeral and get some closure there and give my condolences to his family and everyone there," Mangiapane said.

Looking at his career and Gaudreau's, Mangiapane said that No. 13 holds a special place in his heart and that he set the example for him to follow at the NHL level as a smaller forward playing in the leauge.

"When I first kind of got drafted I was thrilled because the organization doesn't care that you're kind of a smaller player, because they have Johnny there, right? So every time I stepped on the ice with him, I looked up to him. He was a big role model for me," Mangiapane said, adding, "He definitely helped my game a lot more than you know."

There's a bigger legacy that Gaudreau carries, though; he was the ultimate teammate.

"He was a great person, great guy, great hockey player," Mangiapane said. "It's still unbelievable that he's gone."