Matthew Tkachuk makes heartfelt promise to his dear late friend Johnny Gaudreau
Photo credit: City News Calgary
Reining Stanley Cup Champion and NHL Superstar Matthew Tkachuk had a big offseason celebrating with the Cup and reaping all the rewards of winning the ultimate prize, but that quickly came to a halt when his dear friend Johnny Gaudreau lost his life to a alleged Drunk Driver.
Johnny Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew, were killed in August where he was struck while riding his bike home in Oldmans Township, N.J.
Tkachuk become good friends while player a better part of 6 seasons with the Calgary Flames, they were paired on the same line and you could tell just by watching them and their production that they had serious chemistry that only comes from being close off the rink.
He sat down with a reporter for an interview to dicuss what Johnny Hockey meant to him, but still has not had enough time to process the death of his good friend.
«You put so much work into a season, that's where all of your energy goes,» Tkachuk said. «Then you make the playoffs. You make the Final. And then, when it was over, we got to celebrate this summer. It was the greatest summer of my life, and some of the most incredible memories were made. But then, right at the end of this amazing summer, the unthinkable happened.»
«Ever since I left Calgary and came to Florida, all I ever do is tell stories about Johnny,» Tkachuk said. «At one point, I was probably telling the guys down here a Johnny story once a week. I was always talking about him, about something funny he had done, something he had done in practice, whatever. He was the kind of guy that you could never get out of your mind, and I hated being away from him.»
Although he misses playing with Gaudreau on the same team as they both elected to go their separate ways, he always hoped that they would meet up play together again. The Olympics was the best chance for them to reunite and they used to talk bout it all the time.
«You have to understand that Johnny and I talked about being in the Olympics together a lot,» Tkachuk said. «In 2022, when they canceled us from being in the Olympics, we were so upset. We were both playing really well together in Calgary and we thought we were going to be so good in the Olympics. We talked about it all the time. That was a tough one. He had played for Team USA in so many big events, and I know it meant a lot to him. Obviously, we would have been together this time. It's tough to think about right now. But I know he would have been excited for those tournaments and he will be on my mind during those times even more than he usually is.»
«Trust me, I feel like I'm the luckiest guy in the NHL,» he said. «I get to play a sport that I love, and it's my job. And I get to play it (in Florida), which, in my opinion, is the best place in the league. The lifestyle. The fans we've developed down here. The way our fan base is growing and growing every day. You wouldn't want to be anywhere other than this place. It really is the best, and I'm so lucky to have this life. I came here to win a Cup. I looked at this group of guys and I knew it could be done. I knew something special could happen. I guess I was right.»
At the end of the day, all he wants to do is continue living his life the way Johnny lived his and hopes he can keep his memory alive by telling stories about him being the best person he can be. "I'm going to keep his memory alive".
Source: The Athletic
Matthew Tkachuk on friend, former teammate Johnny Gaudreau: ''I'm going to keep his memory alive''
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