FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Matthew Tkachuk estimates he tells someone a story about Johnny Gaudreau’s adventures, both on and off the ice, at least once a week.
Driver accused of killing Johnny Gaudreau and his brother had a blood alcohol content of .087
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 Aug. 29 when they were struck by a suspected drunk driver while riding bicycles on a rural New Jersey road, according to police.
“It was such an honor to play with him,” Tkachuk said at Florida’s media day, the Panthers’ first formal event of the new season as they prepare to defend the Stanley Cup. “And you all saw what he did on the ice. I was the luckiest guy in this room to have a great relationship with him. So those are the memories I’ll take with me. But it was horrible. It really was.”
Gaudreau and Tkachuk were teammates in Calgary for six seasons. Tkachuk was traded to Florida in the summer of 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 South Jersey home the night before they were to be groomsmen at their sister Katie’s wedding. The driver who police say struck them is charged with two counts of vehicular homicide, along with reckless driving, possession of an open container and alcohol in a motor vehicle.
“It’s horrible,” Tkachuk said. “It really is.”
The tributes to Gaudreau and his brother have been constant since their deaths and show no signs of slowing down. Tkachuk and the Panthers will face off in Columbus on Oct. 15, when the Blue Jackets play their first regular-season home game since Gaudreau was killed. It’s sure to be an incredibly emotional game.
“Johnny is one of my favorite teammates that I’ve ever played with. What a great friend,” Tkachuk said. “It doesn’t matter if you know them or played against them or even if you just have a brother or a sister, everybody can relate to this. And it’s devastating. I’ll always carry something with me where he’s always with me.”
Tkachuk was one of many from the hockey world who attended the Gaudreau brothers’ service earlier this month. He said he was constantly thinking about Johnny Gaudreau’s wife, Meredith, their children who lost their father and the parents who lost their sons.
“I think everyone does a great job of telling the stories and keeping him there, because that’s exactly what he would want, is for us to laugh at him and tell the funny stories about what a great player and teammate he was — and a better guy,” Tkachuk said. “My memory of him will last forever.”
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