August 30, 2024 • 10 mins
Aaron Portzline of The Athletic on the tragic news of Johnny Gaudreau's death
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Got a Buckeye game at the Shoe tomorrow, and unfortunately
all of that is being overshadowed by the breaking news
from this morning. Columbus Blue Jackets for where Johnny Goudreau
has died in New Jersey in a bike accident last night.
Both he and his brother Matthew Gudreau were killed while
riding a bike near their hometown of Salem, New Jersey.
(00:22):
They were swiped by a car. There has been reporting
that the driver of the car was impaired. I cannot
confirm that. I don't know that at this stage, but
I wanted to get some thoughts in perspective on the
Legacy Retirement Group dot com phone line from the Athletic
It is Aaron ports Line Porty. I am at a
loss for words, my friend. I'm sick to my stomach.
(00:45):
I wish we were talking on different terms this morning.
But when you became aware of this early this morning,
at one point it was just a rumor. There was
no reporting on It was just on social media, and
sadly the rumors were true.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
Good morning, Yeah, good morning. We made a decision as
an outlet last night that we were only going to
move forward with h once we had confirmation from the club,
the agent Lewis Gross, who represents kind of Goodrow or
(01:19):
the league, and yeah, and that didn't that came this morning.
And as you said that, I think a lot of
everyone wanted to dismiss the rumors that began to surface
last night as being just simply untrue. And unfortunately they're not.
(01:41):
So devastation, utter devastation. You think first of the Gudreau
family that lost two of their sons today, which was
supposed to be the wedding day for one of their daughters.
They were they were to be bride groomsman in the
wedding today. I mean, I don't, As you said, we're
both trying to find words for, uh for something that really,
(02:04):
uh is beyond them.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
Frankly, it makes a tragic situation, uh unthinkable when you
consider that the entire Gaudreaux family was in town. Their
sister Katie was set to be married today in Philadelphia.
As you mentioned, both Johnny and his brother Matthew were
in the wedding. Johnny's wife, Meredith was listed as the
(02:28):
maid of honor in the wedding porty. I just it's
just it's not a story I expected to cover you know,
we're in this business and we do know that things happened,
bad things happen, and breaking news has happened. But boy,
I didn't I didn't have this on the list. Uh
and Goodreau. You know we've talked about this before. I mean,
(02:51):
not only a heck of a player, a heck of
a human being. And you know when I learned that
he chose to come to Columbus from Calgary. You know,
he came in July of twenty twenty two as an
unrestricted free agent. He picked and he was criticized by people.
You picked Columbus because he and Meredith knew that this
was a great place to raise a family.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
Yeah. Really, the biggest free agent signing in franchise history,
you know, and it came at such an important time
for the organization, which had been reeling after the losses
of some significant free agents. Yeah. And the guy that listen,
(03:35):
we don't you certainly, as a person who covers the team,
you don't develop close friendships with these guys that you
do get to know them on a certain level. And
this is the guy that was always so chill and
so relaxed in a way that you know, typically one
(03:55):
hundred and fifteen point NHL guys carry themselves with a
significant presence at rock Stars, if you will, and that
just wasn't Johnny. I mean, on an off day, you'd
see Johnny with a T shirt on that most fellow
NHLers would have retired five years earlier. But it's comfortable
(04:16):
to work. Why would I get rid of it? Just
an ordinary guy who liked to hang out and have
a good time. I think he chose Columbus in part
because he saw it as a place where he could
focus on hockey, not being a fish bowl as much
as he was in Calgary, but also be closer to
his family. You mentioned the family and how they're all together,
(04:40):
That family is always all together. Best part of what
makes this even more devastating is you know how close
that family is, Like it's the just from the outside
looking in, It's the way that many families would love
to be where they're just completely involved. That two little kids.
You think of his wife, Meredith, He's got two little
(05:02):
kids under the age of two. Oh my gosh, uh
Noah and Johnny. I mean, it's just it's it's it's
devastating to the hockey world. It's just devastating to humanity,
not not just this liver of the world that's in
ball hockey.
Speaker 1 (05:20):
As a as a hockey fan of forty forty five
years blue Jacket season ticket holder, I've been by my
son and I my son plays the game at the
double A level and he's at school. I hope he.
I don't know if he's aware of this or not,
but I mean, Johnny was was always quick with an
autograph and a smile. He never turned anybody away. And
(05:41):
my son's got a couple of signatures from Johnny. And
when he came in town after you know, signing the deal,
and you know, he held the press conference and uh,
you know, we we were kind of hanging around nationwide
and and ran into him and h it was was
super polite and friendly and talked to my son. And
I mean, this is a massive, massive loss, devastating for
(06:05):
as you say, not only the Gadreaux family, not only
the Blue Jackets, but the hockey world in general. And
he was he was, he was juiced, he was ready
to go for this season. He if he was, he
was working out in the off season. Uh, he put
a lot of extra time in he Uh, he played
in the UH in the Men's World Championships for the
(06:27):
US back in May, had a heck of a tournament there.
You know, you bring in Sean Monaghan and his old
linemate back in Calgary. I mean, things were setting up
wonderfully for for Johnny Gudreaux and the Blue Jackets this year.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
Yeah, and you know what Monahan. I think Monahan would
have considered thomb but certainly the contract was inviting. I'm
not sure if if in his heart of hearts he
comes here if it's not for Johnny gudrou They were
very close in in Calgary. There was a thing that
I think of two is the this is such a
(07:03):
young team. There so many kids in the dressing room
between the ages of nineteen and twenty two, and Padreaux
is not allowed strutting around in your faith type guy
at all, but they still look at it. It's it's
(07:25):
Johnny Hockey, like you're a player of some significance to game.
That name and Keith it he was revered by by
players in this dressing room, really players from around the game.
And you know another thing I think of two is
this is a guy, one of the guys in the
(07:47):
NHL that you would stand next to and just marvel
that they're able to play this game among the behemoths
to play this game five foot nine, maybe one hundred
and sixty five pounds maybe, and not just existed in
the world of giants, but but really, I mean, dominated
(08:10):
the league for a large portion of his ten seasons.
Speaker 1 (08:14):
Speaking with Aaron ports Line from The Athletic, I was
texting a little bit earlier with one of your colleagues
still working at the Dispatch, Brian Hedger, and he one
of the things he said, he's I can't believe this
happened again to the Blue Jackets, of course, referring to
Matisse Kavlennox a couple of years ago. I believe it
(08:34):
was twenty twenty one, in the fourth of July fireworks
accident in Michigan. It's just I can't wrap my brain
around this, Aaron. I just it's simply there's no words.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
Yeah, well, you know what, you're not supposed to be
able to wrap your brain around. That's that's kind of
what this. A tragedy like this is. I think back
that the I mean Lennex happened, and on the fourth
of July, as you mentioned, there was still a sense
(09:06):
of shock in the dressing room. I mean, kiv Lennox
was not at that point and established NHL guy, but
he'd been up enough where a lot of the guys
in the room knew him, obviously, especially the goalies, and
there was a real sense of somebody missing when training
camp started. Now you're talking about, you know, a guy
(09:29):
who was the most sought off the free agent in
the league, one of the best players in the league.
It's obviously almost two months later. I you know, there's
a ton of players rolling into town over the weekend
to get ready for the start of the season. I
can't imagine what those guys, the guys who knew him best,
(09:52):
what they're going through, and how long that grieving process
is going to take.
Speaker 1 (09:57):
Unfathomable, unfathomable real is And all we could do at
this point is pray for the Gadreau family. Pray for
the Blue Jackets family.
Speaker 2 (10:06):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (10:06):
The Blue Jackets have a statement out and they're you know,
they're asking for privacy for the family and asking for
thoughts and prayers too. So Porty, I know it was
the last minute to ask. I appreciate you jumping on
with us this morning. You know, just a lot of
a lot of soul searching and and well wishes for
the Gadreaux family. UH today and UH in the next
several days, and maybe we'll touch base next week, and UH,
(10:29):
you know, continue to process this
Got a Buckeye game at the Shoe tomorrow, and unfortunately
all of that is being overshadowed by the breaking news
from this morning. Columbus Blue Jackets for where Johnny Goudreau
has died in New Jersey in a bike accident last night.
Both he and his brother Matthew Gudreau were killed while
riding a bike near their hometown of Salem, New Jersey.
(00:22):
They were swiped by a car. There has been reporting
that the driver of the car was impaired. I cannot
confirm that. I don't know that at this stage, but
I wanted to get some thoughts in perspective on the
Legacy Retirement Group dot com phone line from the Athletic
It is Aaron ports Line Porty. I am at a
loss for words, my friend. I'm sick to my stomach.
(00:45):
I wish we were talking on different terms this morning.
But when you became aware of this early this morning,
at one point it was just a rumor. There was
no reporting on It was just on social media, and
sadly the rumors were true.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
Good morning, Yeah, good morning. We made a decision as
an outlet last night that we were only going to
move forward with h once we had confirmation from the club,
the agent Lewis Gross, who represents kind of Goodrow or
(01:19):
the league, and yeah, and that didn't that came this morning.
And as you said that, I think a lot of
everyone wanted to dismiss the rumors that began to surface
last night as being just simply untrue. And unfortunately they're not.
(01:41):
So devastation, utter devastation. You think first of the Gudreau
family that lost two of their sons today, which was
supposed to be the wedding day for one of their daughters.
They were they were to be bride groomsman in the
wedding today. I mean, I don't, As you said, we're
both trying to find words for, uh for something that really,
(02:04):
uh is beyond them.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
Frankly, it makes a tragic situation, uh unthinkable when you
consider that the entire Gaudreaux family was in town. Their
sister Katie was set to be married today in Philadelphia.
As you mentioned, both Johnny and his brother Matthew were
in the wedding. Johnny's wife, Meredith was listed as the
(02:28):
maid of honor in the wedding porty. I just it's
just it's not a story I expected to cover you know,
we're in this business and we do know that things happened,
bad things happen, and breaking news has happened. But boy,
I didn't I didn't have this on the list. Uh
and Goodreau. You know we've talked about this before. I mean,
(02:51):
not only a heck of a player, a heck of
a human being. And you know when I learned that
he chose to come to Columbus from Calgary. You know,
he came in July of twenty twenty two as an
unrestricted free agent. He picked and he was criticized by people.
You picked Columbus because he and Meredith knew that this
was a great place to raise a family.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
Yeah. Really, the biggest free agent signing in franchise history,
you know, and it came at such an important time
for the organization, which had been reeling after the losses
of some significant free agents. Yeah. And the guy that listen,
(03:35):
we don't you certainly, as a person who covers the team,
you don't develop close friendships with these guys that you
do get to know them on a certain level. And
this is the guy that was always so chill and
so relaxed in a way that you know, typically one
(03:55):
hundred and fifteen point NHL guys carry themselves with a
significant presence at rock Stars, if you will, and that
just wasn't Johnny. I mean, on an off day, you'd
see Johnny with a T shirt on that most fellow
NHLers would have retired five years earlier. But it's comfortable
(04:16):
to work. Why would I get rid of it? Just
an ordinary guy who liked to hang out and have
a good time. I think he chose Columbus in part
because he saw it as a place where he could
focus on hockey, not being a fish bowl as much
as he was in Calgary, but also be closer to
his family. You mentioned the family and how they're all together,
(04:40):
That family is always all together. Best part of what
makes this even more devastating is you know how close
that family is, Like it's the just from the outside
looking in, It's the way that many families would love
to be where they're just completely involved. That two little kids.
You think of his wife, Meredith, He's got two little
(05:02):
kids under the age of two. Oh my gosh, uh
Noah and Johnny. I mean, it's just it's it's it's
devastating to the hockey world. It's just devastating to humanity,
not not just this liver of the world that's in
ball hockey.
Speaker 1 (05:20):
As a as a hockey fan of forty forty five
years blue Jacket season ticket holder, I've been by my
son and I my son plays the game at the
double A level and he's at school. I hope he.
I don't know if he's aware of this or not,
but I mean, Johnny was was always quick with an
autograph and a smile. He never turned anybody away. And
(05:41):
my son's got a couple of signatures from Johnny. And
when he came in town after you know, signing the deal,
and you know, he held the press conference and uh,
you know, we we were kind of hanging around nationwide
and and ran into him and h it was was
super polite and friendly and talked to my son. And
I mean, this is a massive, massive loss, devastating for
(06:05):
as you say, not only the Gadreaux family, not only
the Blue Jackets, but the hockey world in general. And
he was he was, he was juiced, he was ready
to go for this season. He if he was, he
was working out in the off season. Uh, he put
a lot of extra time in he Uh, he played
in the UH in the Men's World Championships for the
(06:27):
US back in May, had a heck of a tournament there.
You know, you bring in Sean Monaghan and his old
linemate back in Calgary. I mean, things were setting up
wonderfully for for Johnny Gudreaux and the Blue Jackets this year.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
Yeah, and you know what Monahan. I think Monahan would
have considered thomb but certainly the contract was inviting. I'm
not sure if if in his heart of hearts he
comes here if it's not for Johnny gudrou They were
very close in in Calgary. There was a thing that
I think of two is the this is such a
(07:03):
young team. There so many kids in the dressing room
between the ages of nineteen and twenty two, and Padreaux
is not allowed strutting around in your faith type guy
at all, but they still look at it. It's it's
(07:25):
Johnny Hockey, like you're a player of some significance to game.
That name and Keith it he was revered by by
players in this dressing room, really players from around the game.
And you know another thing I think of two is
this is a guy, one of the guys in the
(07:47):
NHL that you would stand next to and just marvel
that they're able to play this game among the behemoths
to play this game five foot nine, maybe one hundred
and sixty five pounds maybe, and not just existed in
the world of giants, but but really, I mean, dominated
(08:10):
the league for a large portion of his ten seasons.
Speaker 1 (08:14):
Speaking with Aaron ports Line from The Athletic, I was
texting a little bit earlier with one of your colleagues
still working at the Dispatch, Brian Hedger, and he one
of the things he said, he's I can't believe this
happened again to the Blue Jackets, of course, referring to
Matisse Kavlennox a couple of years ago. I believe it
(08:34):
was twenty twenty one, in the fourth of July fireworks
accident in Michigan. It's just I can't wrap my brain
around this, Aaron. I just it's simply there's no words.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
Yeah, well, you know what, you're not supposed to be
able to wrap your brain around. That's that's kind of
what this. A tragedy like this is. I think back
that the I mean Lennex happened, and on the fourth
of July, as you mentioned, there was still a sense
(09:06):
of shock in the dressing room. I mean, kiv Lennox
was not at that point and established NHL guy, but
he'd been up enough where a lot of the guys
in the room knew him, obviously, especially the goalies, and
there was a real sense of somebody missing when training
camp started. Now you're talking about, you know, a guy
(09:29):
who was the most sought off the free agent in
the league, one of the best players in the league.
It's obviously almost two months later. I you know, there's
a ton of players rolling into town over the weekend
to get ready for the start of the season. I
can't imagine what those guys, the guys who knew him best,
(09:52):
what they're going through, and how long that grieving process
is going to take.
Speaker 1 (09:57):
Unfathomable, unfathomable real is And all we could do at
this point is pray for the Gadreau family. Pray for
the Blue Jackets family.
Speaker 2 (10:06):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (10:06):
The Blue Jackets have a statement out and they're you know,
they're asking for privacy for the family and asking for
thoughts and prayers too. So Porty, I know it was
the last minute to ask. I appreciate you jumping on
with us this morning. You know, just a lot of
a lot of soul searching and and well wishes for
the Gadreaux family. UH today and UH in the next
several days, and maybe we'll touch base next week, and UH,
(10:29):
you know, continue to process this
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