Candlelight vigil for Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau draws thousands of Flames fans

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For 13 minutes, Calgary hockey fans stood in complete silence outside the Saddledome doors.

The only sound was the occasional attempt at holding back tears.

Thousands upon thousands of them had gathered. They held their phones in the air, flashlights on, holding a quiet but powerful vigil for Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau.

A few feet away, many of the Calgary Flames, their coaches, management and staff did the same. All united with the fans in the same grief that had drawn so many to the old rink where “Johnny Hockey” had provided them with so many magical moments.

“To see all of you here, this is what makes me proud to be a Calgarian and this is what made Johnny so proud of the city,” said Flames general manager Craig Conroy.

Wednesday night will surely go down in Calgary lore. It was a special evening and a fitting tribute for a young man who emerged as the face of the Flames franchise in his nine years with the team but whose impact went well beyond the rink.

Since the tragic news broke that Johnny and Matthew had been killed while riding their bikes by a suspected drunk driver last Thursday, the Calgary hockey community has been united in grief.

The evidence was there for all to see on the Saddledome steps on Wednesday.

What started as a small tribute last Friday, when fans dropped bouquets of flowers, memorabilia, Skittles and bottles of purple Gatorade, had turned into something more. By Wednesday, there were thousands more. The makeshift memorial was now a fitting tribute to a player who not only finished his time with the Flames sitting fifth all-time in franchise points, but was adopted by the city as one of their own and inspired countless young, undersized hockey players to follow their dreams.

He was a beloved teammate, too.

Fighting back tears, Flames captain Mikael Backlund spoke about what it was like to not only skate alongside Gaudreau, but to call him a friend.

“He always had a smile on his face, on and off the ice. I’m going to miss that smile. I’m going to miss Johnny chirping me about everything like he always loved to do. He would be all over me about everything. He would say ‘Come on Backs, talk to coach and get us a day off. Come on Backs, have a beer. Come on Backs, loosen up. Come on Backs, it’s just hockey.’

“I know I’m not as chilled as you were Johnny, but I’m working on it.”

Thousands of kilometres away, in Columbus, Ohio, the Blue Jackets held a similar vigil to honour Gaudreau, who signed with the team in 2022 in free-agency.

If there was any disappointment or frustration that Gaudreau didn’t choose to extend in Calgary, it’s long forgotten, replaced by a love and appreciation for a player who did so much for so long for the Flames.

And across Calgary, that love was everywhere on Wednesday night.

Recently hired Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corp. CEO Robert Hayes spoke of his memories of Gaudreau, too, not as an executive but as a Calgarian who loved watching him dance around defencemen.

The Telus Sky building was lit up with Flames colours, too.

And the fan-made tribute to Gaudreau will remain on the steps of the Saddledome for the time being, with Wednesday marking the first day of a 13-day observance.

There will surely be more as the season progresses.

Gaudreau’s legacy in Calgary will last.

“They have inspired thousands, not only through their love of the game but their intention to live every day to the fullest, to love those around them deeply and to always be humble and kind,” said Flames legend Lanny McDonald. “We know the colour of the jersey didn’t even matter, we were always cheering for you.

“Let our chants echo so loudly that the boys can hear it in the sky.”

daustin@postmedia.com

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