COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — After two games on the road, the Blue Jackets will play their home opener on a night that will usher in a new era amid a tremendously somber circumstance.
The Jackets will play the the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Nationwide Arena in the first home game with Dean Evason as coach and Don Waddell as president and general manager. But the occasion will be overshadowed as the club pays tribute to forward Johnny Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew, who died in August.
Here’s what to know ahead of Tuesday’s game at Nationwide Arena.
Remembering Johnny and Matthew
The usual celebratory feel of an opening night will have to wait as Tuesday’s home opener will pay tribute to the Gaudreau brothers, who were killed by a suspected drunk driver while riding bicycles near their parents’ New Jersey home in August.
“We’re still feeling it. We’re going to feel it for a long, long time there’s no doubt about that,” Blue Jackets radio broadcaster Bob McElligott said. “The one thing about Johnny Gaudraeu is that he loved the game of hockey and he would want his teammates to be out there playing as hard as they can.”
There will be a special concourse tribute that will include jerseys and items that were placed by fans at Nationwide Arena in the days and weeks after their deaths.
A pregame video and ceremony will begin at 7 p.m. before the puck drop, scheduled for 7:13. All fans in attendance will receive a “13” patch, matching the ones that Blue Jackets players will wear this season.
Both teams will wear jerseys featuring the number “13” and the “Gaudreau” name during pregame warmups. Those jerseys, along with other memorabilia, will be auctioned off to fans with the proceeds going toward the John and Matthew Gaudreau Foundation.
Waddell navigates tragedy during rebuild
When Waddell took over as the general manager, no one could have foreseen the task he’d have to endure. But so far, he’s handled every step navigated by the question: “What would Johnny do?”
“He’s going to be with us. He’s going to be a presence in our locker room at home and on the road,” Waddell said when the preseason began.
The former Hurricanes GM took over looking to elevate a club that had been in the basement of the Metropolitan Division and failed to make the playoffs each of the last four seasons. In his six seasons with Carolina, the Hurricanes won three division titles and made the postseason each year, making two appearances in the Eastern Conference finals.
“I wouldn’t take this kind of opportunity at this point in my career unless I felt we could make a difference,” Waddell said when he was hired in May.
Evason anticipates ’emotional’ opening night
The Blue Jackets’ new coach is also trying to guide his players through the tragedy while looking to bring the team the success that it hasn’t had in years. But Evason knows the first hurdle is the home opener, which he anticipates will be emotional.
“Everyone’s going to go through it. They’re going to have their own emotions and feelings,” Evason said after Monday’s morning skate. “Everyone’s going to express it differently as far as how they’re going to react to the situation. And that’s fine.”
On a different level, Evason faced his own emotional evening in last week’s season opener against the Minnesota Wild, the club that fired him after five seasons as coach nearly a year ago. Although the Blue Jackets lost that game, 3-2, they bounced back two nights later with a 6-2 win at the Colorado Avalanche.
Player of the game gets the donkey
In another nod to Johnny Gaudreau’s legacy, the Blue Jackets will honor their “player of the game” after every win by letting him wear a donkey hat in the locker room.
The idea came from captain Boone Jenner after Evason asked for a new, creative way to provide a postgame award. Previously, the Blue Jackets would give a Civil War-style Kepi hat to the best player of each victory.
“If you knew John, he probably called you a donkey before. That was his word,” center Sean Monahan said. “He called me a donkey probably a million times. It’s just a little something to remember him.”
Blue Jackets without Jenner
The team may have to play the season without its captain. Jenner, a forward, underwent shoulder surgery last week after getting injured during practice. He was the team’s fourth-highest scorer last season with 22 goals and 35 points in 58 appearances.
“He’ll begin his rehabilitation very soon, and our hope is he can return before the end of the season,” Waddell said. “His loss will be felt by our club.”
The Blue Jackets are relying on other weapons in Jenner’s absence, including Sean Monahan, who had a goal and two assists in the win over Colorado, Adam Fantilli and Kirill Marchenko.
Goalies split duties
Through two games, the Jackets have started different goalies. Elvis Merzlikins was in net for the loss to the Wild, allowing three goals and making 23 saves. Daniil Tarasov allowed four goals in the win over the Avalanche, making 26 saves.
Tarasov had a strong finish to last season, with save percentages over .900 in five of the final seven games of last season. Evason’s choice for Tuesday’s game may go a long way in determining who he will stick with.
Looking ahead
After taking on the Panthers, the Blue Jackets will continue their homestand on Thursday when they play the Buffalo Sabres. That game will feature the traditional opening night festivities including the plaza party and blue carpet arrivals.
The Jackets will then host the Wild on Saturday before playing the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday.
