Johnny Gaudreau was a hero to a lot of people, but especially to hockey players who were told they were too small to make it.
One of those players, Cole Caufield of the Montreal Canadiens, is honouring his late hero in a very personal way.
Caufield announced on Instagram Tuesday that he will be switching from No. 22 to No. 13 this season.
“He paved the way for smaller players and proved we had a future in this game at the highest level,” Caufield wrote. “I will forever be grateful to him for inspiring me and others.”
Gaudreau and his brother Matthew were killed Thursday night after being struck by a vehicle while riding their bikes near their hometown. Gaudreau, listed at five-foot-nine, and Caufield, standing at five-foot-eight, were among the shortest players in the NHL last season.
In his Instagram post, Caufield said meeting his hero earlier this year while they were teammates on the U.S. team at the world championships was a highlight of his career.
“Getting to play with your hero is something that most people only dream of. I was lucky enough to be Johnny’s teammate this past summer and it didn’t take long to realize how great of a person he was,” Caufield wrote. “He was the most welcoming, genuine, and funniest guy I have ever met. He was someone everyone gravitated towards and I took every chance I could to be around him.”
Tributes for the fallen brothers have been pouring in from across the hockey universe over the past week. Fans of Gaudreau in Columbus and Calgary have set up large memorials outside the arenas in those cities, and on Wednesday both teams will hold vigils in honour of the memory of Johnny and Matthew.
“We all lost an amazing person, both on and off the ice, in last week’s tragedy,” Caufield wrote. “My deepest condolences go to the entire Gaudreau family, especially Johnny’s wife and two kids, who I had the pleasure of meeting.”