Former Flame Tkachuk speaks out on teammate Gaudreau’s death

Matthew Tkachuk estimates that he tells someone a story about Johnny Gaudreau’s exploits at least once a week, both on and off the ice.

And he doesn’t intend to stop.

Tkachuk spoke Wednesday about the death of his longtime friend and former teammate, calling Gaudreau “the most offensively gifted player I’ve ever seen.” Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew, were killed Aug. 29 when police say they were hit by a suspected drunk driver while riding their bicycles on a rural New Jersey road.

“It was a huge honor to play with him,” Tkachuk said at media day in Florida, the first official event of the new season for the Panthers, who are preparing to begin their defense of the Stanley Cup. “And you all saw what he did on the ice. I was fortunate out of everyone in that room to have a great relationship with him off the ice. So those are the memories I’ll take with me. But it was scary. It really was.”

Gaudreau and Tkachuk were teammates in Calgary for six seasons. Tkachuk was traded to Florida in the summer of 2022, an offseason in which Gaudreau left the Flames to play for the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Gaudreau and his younger brother were killed near their family home in South Jersey the evening before they were to be groomsmen at their sister Katie’s wedding. The driver who police say hit them has been charged with two counts of vehicular homicide, as well as reckless driving, possession of an open container and consumption of alcohol in a motor vehicle.

“It was scary,” Tkachuk said. “It really was.”

The tributes to Gaudreau and his brother have been ongoing since their deaths and they won’t be stopping anytime soon. Tkachuk and the Panthers will be opponents in Columbus on Oct. 15 when the Blue Jackets play their first regular-season home game since Gaudreau’s death, a game that is sure to be incredibly emotional.

“Johnny is one of my favorite teammates I’ve ever played with. Such a great friend,” Tkachuk said. “It doesn’t matter if you knew them or played against them or even if you have a sibling, everyone can relate to that. And that was scary. I’ll always carry something with me so he’s always with me.”

Tkachuk was one of many in the hockey world who attended a service for the Gaudreau brothers earlier this month. He said he constantly thinks about Johnny Gaudreau’s wife, Meredith, their children who lost their father and their parents who lost their sons.

“I think everybody does an amazing job of telling stories and keeping him around because that’s what he would want, for us to smile at him and tell funny stories about what a great player and teammate he was — and a better guy,” Tkachuk said. “My memories of him will last forever.”