We were upset that he left only because we loved him so much. It’s never easy to see your favourite player leave. It was never a slight to the team or the city.
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komatiitic
I wasn’t upset he left, it made me like him more. I’m a Calgary boy in Australia, and in 2019 my thought was “I can get home in 24 hours if I have to,” until suddenly I couldn’t. He made the hard decision and went to a worse team with worse prospects (good contract tho). So many players are traded or sign somewhere else and leave without a word, and he put his heart on his sleeve and took the time to tell us why.
eugenejfish
He knew that we “hated” him out of love. There’s a reason that he smiled every time reporters mentioned Calgary after he left. Unless you’re one of the scum that sent terrible messages to him or his family, you have nothing to apologise for.
Significant_Loan_596
We were sad and angry that he left but now we are even more sad what has transpired and angrier at the drunk driver with his senseless act.
Just so tragic in all fronts.
SeedlessPomegranate
Oilers fan here. This is a tragedy for the Gaudreau family and for the hockey world in general. My heart goes out to his family and friends.
He was a great player for Calgary and I only have the utmost respect for him and what he did for the team.
RIP
0_cr0nch_0
This. Sure changes perspective on things. I wasn’t that mad, but was upset and disappointed and now it is obvious how little it mattered. He made the right decision and I’m happy he did
NotALenny
Feeling the same now. Glad he did and was able to have this time being closer to his family.
Jack_1080
For those who need to hear it, hate and anger are not the opposite of Love, its indifference.
We were only upset because we all knew we lost a great player.
By all accounts, last night the world lost a great guy.
Comfortable-Ad-7158
The guy helped bring in an entire generation of hockey fans to this team and to the sport.
Imo if we do a wall of Flames legends in the new arena.. Johnny absolutely deserves a spot.
bewareofbears_
I was disappointed with how folks responded to him leaving. We all love hockey but when something like this happens it makes it obvious how unimportant hockey is in the grand scheme of things. I hope the years he spent closer to his family were great for him and his family. I cannot begin to imagine what Johnny and Matt’s family and friends are going through. The whole situation is tragic.
Tequila-and-Ferrari
I couldn’t agree more with the title of this post.
gr8d4ne
#sticksoutforjohnny
def11879
How do NHL contracts handle this kind of thing? Will his family get paid the remainder or his contract still?
tinanaman
I’m sorry Johnny, Love you forever
undeletable-2
30 seasons of him as a Flame wouldn’t have been enough
Mr_Biggums
Me too
TheHowlingFish
Me too, this wasn’t the timeline anyone wanted. Miss you forever Johnny
TL10
I think this has been a sobering moment for the more bitter group of fans who had deep-seated resentment for him leaving.
At the end of the day, Hockey Players are still regular human beings, and Johnny made a choice like a lot of people do and gave up promising career opportunities to be closer with his family.
We should all aspire for the life that Johnny led, being willing to put family first above all else. If there is any solace about his passing, it’s that he died as he lived: by being with the people he loved most.
ruralrouteOne
It sucked how it went down, but I still wore his jersey with pride after he left.
I always saw that process as a guy who was looking out for his family. He was humble and quiet and I always appreciated that about him as a player.
Gutted for his family. I can’t even fathom the loss they’re feeling. I hope there’s some solace knowing the brothers were good people and loved, even by many who never had the honor of meeting them in person.
AnxiousArtichoke7981
Johnny really loved his family . I enjoyed how fondly and lovingly he talked about “ my Pops”
cbcguy84
Canucks fan here and I’m just devastated by this news. Drunk drivers are dickheads how hard is it to call a taxi or uber?
Lots of love to the gaudreau family
KnightStoff
I was always of the mindset that i just couldn’t ever cheer for him again, but was always thankful for what he did while in Calgary, he made me fall back in love with this team after not watching hockey for years. I just couldn’t actively cheer for him when he left. But this is just so heartbreaking I can barely believe its true. His jersey went from one I would never wear to probably one of the only ones I’ll wear regularly now.
Ice_warrior45
I was at his first game back at the dome as a blue jacket and I still remember the roar of boos and cheers as he missed his penalty shot attempt. We booed him because we missed him here and wished he never left. No one wanted it to end like this
25 Comments
We were upset that he left only because we loved him so much. It’s never easy to see your favourite player leave. It was never a slight to the team or the city.
[removed]
I wasn’t upset he left, it made me like him more. I’m a Calgary boy in Australia, and in 2019 my thought was “I can get home in 24 hours if I have to,” until suddenly I couldn’t. He made the hard decision and went to a worse team with worse prospects (good contract tho). So many players are traded or sign somewhere else and leave without a word, and he put his heart on his sleeve and took the time to tell us why.
He knew that we “hated” him out of love. There’s a reason that he smiled every time reporters mentioned Calgary after he left. Unless you’re one of the scum that sent terrible messages to him or his family, you have nothing to apologise for.
We were sad and angry that he left but now we are even more sad what has transpired and angrier at the drunk driver with his senseless act.
Just so tragic in all fronts.
Oilers fan here. This is a tragedy for the Gaudreau family and for the hockey world in general. My heart goes out to his family and friends.
He was a great player for Calgary and I only have the utmost respect for him and what he did for the team.
RIP
This. Sure changes perspective on things. I wasn’t that mad, but was upset and disappointed and now it is obvious how little it mattered. He made the right decision and I’m happy he did
Feeling the same now. Glad he did and was able to have this time being closer to his family.
For those who need to hear it, hate and anger are not the opposite of Love, its indifference.
[https://youtu.be/UJWk_KNbDHo?si=M3GnqynBUBoU96Ji](https://youtu.be/UJWk_KNbDHo?si=M3GnqynBUBoU96Ji)
# The Lumineers – “Stubborn Love”
We were only upset because we all knew we lost a great player.
By all accounts, last night the world lost a great guy.
The guy helped bring in an entire generation of hockey fans to this team and to the sport.
Imo if we do a wall of Flames legends in the new arena.. Johnny absolutely deserves a spot.
I was disappointed with how folks responded to him leaving. We all love hockey but when something like this happens it makes it obvious how unimportant hockey is in the grand scheme of things. I hope the years he spent closer to his family were great for him and his family. I cannot begin to imagine what Johnny and Matt’s family and friends are going through. The whole situation is tragic.
I couldn’t agree more with the title of this post.
#sticksoutforjohnny
How do NHL contracts handle this kind of thing? Will his family get paid the remainder or his contract still?
I’m sorry Johnny, Love you forever
30 seasons of him as a Flame wouldn’t have been enough
Me too
Me too, this wasn’t the timeline anyone wanted. Miss you forever Johnny
I think this has been a sobering moment for the more bitter group of fans who had deep-seated resentment for him leaving.
At the end of the day, Hockey Players are still regular human beings, and Johnny made a choice like a lot of people do and gave up promising career opportunities to be closer with his family.
We should all aspire for the life that Johnny led, being willing to put family first above all else. If there is any solace about his passing, it’s that he died as he lived: by being with the people he loved most.
It sucked how it went down, but I still wore his jersey with pride after he left.
I always saw that process as a guy who was looking out for his family. He was humble and quiet and I always appreciated that about him as a player.
Gutted for his family. I can’t even fathom the loss they’re feeling. I hope there’s some solace knowing the brothers were good people and loved, even by many who never had the honor of meeting them in person.
Johnny really loved his family . I enjoyed how fondly and lovingly he talked about “ my Pops”
Canucks fan here and I’m just devastated by this news. Drunk drivers are dickheads how hard is it to call a taxi or uber?
Lots of love to the gaudreau family
I was always of the mindset that i just couldn’t ever cheer for him again, but was always thankful for what he did while in Calgary, he made me fall back in love with this team after not watching hockey for years. I just couldn’t actively cheer for him when he left.
But this is just so heartbreaking I can barely believe its true.
His jersey went from one I would never wear to probably one of the only ones I’ll wear regularly now.
I was at his first game back at the dome as a blue jacket and I still remember the roar of boos and cheers as he missed his penalty shot attempt. We booed him because we missed him here and wished he never left. No one wanted it to end like this