New Jersey Devils goaltender Jacob Markstrom played 213 games for the Calgary Flames over four seasons.
For two of those seasons, his teammate was Johnny Gaudreau.
On Aug. 29, Gaudreau, 31, and his brother Matthew, 29, were struck and killed by a drunk driver while riding bikes in Oldmans Township, Salem County, New Jersey.
It is a tragedy that has left the hockey community shocked and devastated.
Over the past couple of weeks, many NHL players have publicly spoken about Gaudreau, with Markstrom becoming the latest.
On a recent episode of Spittin’ Chiclets, co-host Paul Bissonnette asked the goaltender about his former Flames teammate.
“I’m getting goosebumps now just thinking about his name. It is so hard,” Markstrom said. “I told my wife you want to call him and say, ‘I heard what happened. Are you okay?’ You want to call him and talk to him to make sure he is fine. Him not being here anymore is really tough to grasp.
“I don’t think it kicked in for me yet. It is really tough.”
May 9, 2022; Dallas, Texas, USA; Calgary Flames goaltender Jacob Markstrom (25) and left wing Johnny Gaudreau (13) and defenseman Nikita Zadorov (16) celebrate the win over the Dallas Stars in game four of the first round of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Markstrom described Gaudreau as a quiet guy in the locker room who did everything right on the ice, saying he was an amazing person and an amazing player.
“Stuff like this only happens on TV shows, or you see it on the news,” he said. “It is never a teammate and a father, a husband and an amazing person that you have been close to, played with, and shared a locker room with for a long time.”
As Tom Gulitti of NHL.com reported, Markstrom was one of several former Flames teammates who attended the Gaudreau brother’s funeral at St. Mary Magdalen Church in Media, Pennsylvania.
“I feel for the families and what they’re going through now; I cannot imagine. I hope the family can take in all the support and love they are getting from fans from every team and people around the world.”
Click here to access the GoFundMe page set up for Matthew Gaudreau’s wife, Madeline, and their growing baby, Tripp.
