Sean Monahan Can ‘Feel the Love From John’ Gaudreau After Blue Jackets Win 1st Game of the Season

The Columbus Blue Jackets’ first win of the season was bittersweet for center Sean Monahan following the death of friend and teammate Johnny Gaudreau.

“It was nice to get our first win. You feel the love from this organization,” Monahan, 29, told reporters after the Saturday, October 12, game. “I feel the love from my teammates and, obviously, I can feel the love from John.”

Meredith Gaudreau , who was married to Johnny ahead of his death, reposted the footage onto her Instagram Story. She captioned the upload, “Family 💙 .”

Monahan, who joined the Blue Jackets earlier this season, helped the Ohio-based team beat the Colorado Avalanche 6-4 in Saturday’s game. The victory marked the squad’s first since the death of Johnny.

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Johnny, a forward for the Blue Jackets, was struck and killed in an August car accident alongside brother Matthew Gaudreau . They were 31 and 29, respectively.

Johnny and Monahan first met as teammates with the Calgary Flames. The current season was set to be their first time playing together on the Blue Jackets.

“It’s obviously tough. [I] haven’t really talked publicly about it at all. I still don’t know the exact words to even say, but I’m excited for the season,” Monahan recalled during a September 18 press conference . “We’re going to miss Johnny. I’m going to miss Johnny a lot. It’s something I think about every day. It’s definitely really hard to get through, but we’ve got a great group here. We’re going to miss him as a team.”

Following Johnny’s death, the Blue Jackets planned to honor his legacy throughout the season by displaying a memorial inside the arena and keeping his assigned locker as is. A No. 13 jersey (Johnny’s number) will additionally be packed for every away game. Players also added a “Gaudreau” sticker to their helmets and a No. 13 patch on their jerseys.

“There’s a lot of weight on our shoulders right now. There’s a huge loss, a special person who’s not here,” Monahan concluded last month. “It’s on my mind every day, every second. We want to obviously put our best foot forward and put our best effort out there for Johnny.”

Other NHL teams have also paid tribute. Johnny’s former team, the Calgary Flames, played a video in his honor on Saturday, complete with his goal song, “Johnny B. Goode,” as Johnny’s No. 13 was flashed on the Jumbotron.

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“Hearing Johnny’s goal song in the Dome again [gave me] immediate chills,” Meredith, who shared two young children with Johnny and is currently pregnant with baby No. 3, wrote via her Instagram Story on Sunday, October 13. “The C of red [sic] when wild, chanting his name like they always did when Johnny would score some miraculous goal, even the simple ones.”

She added, “Last night’s tribute was so beautiful. Heartbreaking yet beautiful. Johnny will love forever in the hearts of so many who adored him in Calgary.”