It was one of many emotional moments honoring Gaudreau and his brother Matthew, who died Aug. 29 when they were bicycling near their home in Salem County, New Jersey, and were struck by a suspected drunken driver , who was charged with two counts of death by auto. Johnny, Columbus' leading scorer the past two seasons, was 31 years old. Matthew, a former minor league forward, was 29 years old.

Bennett said he thought about Johnny during his pregame meal. He and Johnny were usually the last two on the road on the Calgary team bus. Johnny ate raisin bran but chose all the raisins.

“It put a little smile on my face at the end,” Bennett said. “I have a million stories about Johnny, but this was one that came to mind today.”

Florida players entered the arena with two of Johnny's favorites – Skittles and purple Gatorade – an idea Bennett said came from forward Matthew Tkachuk, who played with Johnny on the Flames from 2016 to 2022. Tkachuk did not play due to illness.

“Johnny was a huge part of the hockey community, but to me he was much more than that,” Tkachuk said in a statement. “A great friend, teammate and family man. Not a day goes by that I don’t think about Johnny and Matthew.”

Johnny's picture stretched along the front of Nationwide Arena as before, but the Blue Jackets added this in a black box: “JOHNNY GAUDREAU 1993-2024.” The makeshift memorial that once stood underneath was now inside the concourse.

The number 13 was painted on the ice behind each net. Each team wore Gaudreau jerseys #13 during warmups, and many fans in the stands wore #13 jerseys. When the ice resurfaced before the game, a projector turned it blue, showing #13 and Matthews #21 . The Blue Jackets played a slide show about Johnny's life and career.

The teams came out of their locker rooms, lined up at the goal lines and watched a video montage with fans. Johnny spoke about his life and career in his own words.

“I think when it's all said and done,” he said, “I just want to be remembered as someone who just wanted to be at the rink, be with his friends, be with his family.”

The teams gathered in front of the benches, lining opposite sides of a blue carpet. Johnny's wife, Meredith, and two young children – son Johnny and daughter Noa – walked out with his brother-in-law as other members of the Gaudreau family watched from a suite.

“It means a lot to his family, his wife, his children, the way they honored him here,” Monahan said. “I mean, the whole league. The Florida Panthers being there behind the ceremony and showing their support, yeah, that means a lot to me.”