2024-25 Blue Jackets Will Always Be Remembered As Extraordinary

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The Columbus Blue Jackets play their first game in Philadelphia since the tragic passing of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau. The game is the 34th of the season for the Blue Jackets overall.

I thought this would be a good time to write a reflection of the season piece that quite honestly, has nothing to do with hockey on the ice. It has everything to do with what’s really important.

Flyers head coach John Tortorella said on Saturday morning that the Gaudreau family will be at Wells Fargo Center for their game against the Blue Jackets. There will be some sort of a pregame ceremony as the Flyers are the team closest to where the Gaudreau’s grew up.

“I’m gonna see Guy and his family before the game,” Tortorella said. “We stay in touch. He’s been great for the team. They’ve done a little traveling. They’ve been out in Calgary. It’s been a lot. (The) holidays. It’s hard I’m sure for the family. We’re gonna try to make him as comfortable as possible when he comes into obviously a circumstance that’s a hell of a lot bigger than a damn hockey game.”

This is Bigger Than Hockey

Tortorella said it best. This circumstance is a lot bigger than a game of hockey. While being able to play hockey has helped normalize things to a degree, there is nothing normal about this season for the Blue Jackets and beyond.

We could talk about the team’s record. We could talk about how they’ve struggled on the road and in second periods. We could talk about the state of the goaltending or what might the team do to address several needs.

None of those things are even remotely close to the biggest story here. Being there for the Gaudreau family is the story. Doing anything possible to help comfort them while dealing with one of the most unimaginable things is the story. With the Blue Jackets in town, the Flyers are doing their part to be a comfort for the Gaudreau’s.

The Blue Jackets are more than doing their part too. We’ll have plenty of time to go through their issues on the ice. But right here and right now, we’re going to talk about the way they’ve conducted themselves this season.

That is the reason why no matter how the rest of the 2024-25 season shakes out, these Blue Jackets will always be remembered as extraordinary. They’ve had to play an entire season through something in which there isn’t a playbook for.

Reflections of the Blue Jackets

GM Don Waddell and head coach Dean Evason deserve a lot of credit for the leadership they’ve been able to provide in trying circumstances. They’ve help to foster a culture around the Blue Jackets that has made the team tighter than ever.

In talking to several Blue Jackets’ players over the course of the season, there’s been one common theme. “The room is tighter than ever.” In the face of tragedy, the Blue Jackets have come together in a way that Evason has wanted.

Columbus Blue Jackets Starting Lineup
The Blue Jackets have said that as a team, they are tighter than ever this season. (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Evason has been and always will be a team first coach. That was his message from the moment he was hired by the Blue Jackets. Individual things were put behind for the benefit of the team, even down to the photos in the locker room.

Each picture over a player’s locker stall is one that has multiple teammates on it. Also, the players were put in positions in the room that were away from the usual which made them get to know other players. This has helped foster that culture of team.

This is the first way that the Blue Jackets’ have honored the legacy of the Gaudreau’s. Johnny and Matthew were always team first.

The second way the Blue Jackets have honored the legacy of the Gaudreau’s is by playing most nights with maximum effort. That was another of Waddell’s and Evason’s messages when they were first hired. The team might not be the most skilled every night, but they’re committed to being the hardest working.

This is exactly how Johnny would want the Blue Jackets to play. Records and results aside, the play on the ice would make the Gaudreau’s proud. They would want the team to play hockey. Meredith Gaudreau reflected that when she shared her thoughts before the season. They’ve taken her message to heart.

Imagine how hard that is for a moment. We cannot even begin to fathom what the Blue Jackets have endured so far and what they will continue to endure. Those emotions will come up again pregame in Philadelphia where they’re going to have to try to find a way to play hockey after a pregame ceremony. Those few minutes before the game will be more important than the two and a half hours after puck drop.

The Blue Jackets promised that Johnny and Matthew will always be with them. No matter if it’s been at Nationwide Arena or on the road, Johnny’s jersey is with them. It’s hung in a locker stall as a reminder that he’s always around. Most postgame interviews at home have been conducted in front of where Johnny’s stall is located at. It’s not hard to imagine the kind of smile Johnny would have if he was here to see all of this.

Always Extraordinary

Why will these Blue Jackets always be extraordinary? It’s simple. They are doing what they promised they’d do. They’re playing hockey in a way that keeps the memory of the Gaudreau’s at the center of what they do.

The Blue Jackets lost their captain Boone Jenner in Training Camp to an injury while doing a drill. They could have had every excuse in the world to not be motivated, to not give maximum effort and to not try to make something out of this season. Johnny wouldn’t have wanted any of that. He would have wanted them to play and give it their all. Mission accomplished to this point.

Then even if we turn our attention on the ice, the record might not show it, but there have been major improvements in several areas. The Blue Jackets have done that knowing that there’s a huge hole no one can ever replace.

What stands out in all of this is the things we don’t see on camera. Behind the scenes, the Blue Jackets have made it a point to honor the Gaudreau family in everything when possible. Remember when Noa’s second birthday party happened? The turnout was fantastic for the occasion. In the darkest of moments, the team rises up to meet the moment.

Imagine what Sean Monahan has gone though here. He came to the Blue Jackets to play with his best friend. Imagine the heaviness he’s played with each game. He’s been everything and so much more to the team on and off the ice. His involvement with the Gaudreau family today just shows the quality of person he is. Truly extraordinary.

Erik Gudbranson was one of the reasons Gaudreau came to Columbus. He’s there for the Gaudreau’s like Monahan is, like most of the Blue Jackets are. Despite being injured, Gudbranson is around the team helping in any way he can. He’s been a true leader through all of this.

Yet, we don’t know each and every story that has happened behind the scenes. There have been very emotional moments. There have been moments of team bonding that have helped shape the current culture of the Blue Jackets. The stories we do know make them extraordinary. Just imagine how much more so if we knew everything they’ve done to honor the Gaudreau’s.

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Saturday night in Philadelphia is more than a hockey game. It’s a moment to reflect on the impact and legacy of the Gaudreau brothers in the neighborhood they grew up in.

No matter what happens the rest of this season, the 2024-25 Columbus Blue Jackets will always be remembered as an extraordinary hockey team. Their approach on the ice, the way they conduct themselves off the ice and the way they are there for a family hurting more than anyone can know will ensure they are a team that will never be forgotten.

These Blue Jackets won’t be forgotten because they made sure the Gaudreau’s weren’t forgotten. Not now. Not ever. That’s the very definition of extraordinary.