There are not enough words to describe the tragedy that befell the Gaudreau family and the hockey world on Aug. 29. So, I won’t even try to. What I will do today is make a case for how the Columbus Blue Jackets can honor the life of their late superstar, Johnny Gaudreau.
There is no doubt that the team will do something to honor him and his brother Matthew throughout this season, as they’ve already made many tribute videos and held vigils for them. One thing that has been bandied about in conversations has been the retirement of Gaudreau’s No. 13 and this is my case why they should raise it into the rafters of Nationwide Arena this season.
Gaudreau Made Such An Impact on the City of Columbus
The first thing that I will recognize is the impact that Gaudreau made on the city of Columbus over his two seasons with the team. It’s not a stretch to say that one of the best days in franchise history was when he signed with the club in 2022. The team had been struggling with the narrative that “no one wanted to stay” in Ohio’s capital city, following the exodus of stars Artemi Panarin, Sergei Bobrovsky, Matt Duchene, and Seth Jones.
Then came Gaudreau, the undisputed best player in the 2022 free agent class. He was fresh off of a 40-goal and 115-point season with the Calgary Flames and made the decision to find a new home. He could’ve had his pick of contenders as he searched for his first Stanley Cup, but he opted to be a big fish in a small pond with the rebuilding Blue Jackets. That decision electrified the city and made him instantly beloved by the fan base. It is most definitely among the top moments in franchise history, along with the drafting of Rick Nash, the team’s first playoff berth, and their sweep of the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2019.
That brings us to reason one that the No. 13 should be hanging in the rafters: as a reminder of the fact that one of the best hockey players of his generation – in the prime of his career – chose Columbus and chose to be there long-term.
Gaudreau Was Not the Blue Jackets’ Only Number 13 of Note
Another reason that the No. 13 should be hung up is that it’s been steeped in history with the Blue Jackets. The first person to wear it was top prospect and skilled forward Nikolai Zherdev – who started well, but ultimately didn’t pan out.
Then came Cam Atkinson, furthering my argument. Another smaller, skilled forward who made a massive impact on the Blue Jackets organization. He is third in games played (627), and second behind only Nash in goals (214) and points (402). He is as impactful as they come when talking about the team’s history.
Related: NHL Should Rename Lady Byng Trophy After Johnny Gaudreau
On his own, I’m not sure the No. 13 would be retired for Atkinson, but when you consider that two Blue Jackets’ greats like he and Gaudreau wore the number I think that should constitute its official removal from circulation.
The Number Isn’t Likely to be Worn Again in Columbus Anyways
The NHL is a league steeped in history. There is such a respect from players towards the hockey greats of yore and the numbers on their jerseys play such a critical part in that.
Wayne Gretzky started out wearing the No. 9 to honor his hero Gordie Howe, but had a second nine added when it was already taken on his team in juniors. Jonathan Toews wore his No. 19 in part to honor one of his favorites, Joe Sakic, and the list of players who have chosen their number for that reason is endless.
Numbers have also been worn to honor players who have passed on while they were active NHLers. In recent history, Pierre-Luc Dubois switched to the No. 80 to honor his late friend Matiss Kivlenieks and Cole Caufield has already said he’ll be wearing the No. 13 this season in homage to Gaudreau.
What’s different about this situation is that they’re not wearing that number with the team that the player who passed played for. Dubois wore it with the Winnipeg Jets and Los Angeles Kings, while Caufield is wearing his new number with the Montreal Canadiens. When it comes to that number being worn again with the team, they’re generally informally retired through an unwritten moral code.
That’s exactly what happened with the Vancouver Canucks, who lost one of their top young players Luc Bourdon in a motorcycle crash in 2008. His No. 28 hasn’t been worn since, despite not being officially taken out of circulation. Ian Cole initially picked the number when he signed with the team in 2023, but changed his decision after learning that it was Bourdon who last donned those digits.
Ultimately with the culture of the sport, it’s unlikely the number will be worn in Columbus again anyway. They should just make the decision to retire it and include it as a part of the catharsis for the family and fan base as a lasting legacy to one of the greats of this era.
The Exceptions to the Rule
I was relatively set in stone on this opinion until our latest episode of the Union Junction podcast, when my colleague Mark Scheig brought up a couple of ways to honor Gaudreau by keeping the number in circulation for the time being.
One is if Sean Monahan, longtime friend and teammate of Gaudreau, chooses to wear the number in his honor. What with how close they were and imagining that playing with Gaudreau was likely a major selling factor in his decision to sign in Columbus this offseason, it would be a heartfelt tribute. The same case could be made for Erik Gudbranson, who had a similar tight-knit relationship with Gaudreau.
Another exception could be returning the number to Kent Johnson who had ceded it to Gaudreau when he signed with the club in 2022. Johnson said he wore it in homage to Gaudreau, so it would be a fitting tribute for the number to live on with a player who has a similar skillset to the late superstar.
While yes, many in the online world have been quick to say that decisions of importance shouldn’t be made so soon after an emotionally compromising tragedy like this. However, with the way things have happened in the past following the loss of an active player, it’s unlikely anyone would ever choose to wear 13 again for the Blue Jackets. Unless it’s chosen to be worn as tribute by another current player who knew him well – like Monahan, Gudbranson, or Johnson – the Blue Jackets should do the right thing and hang Gaudreau’s name and number in the rafters this season.
