NHL star Johnny Gaudreau had ‘electrifying’ talent: Calgary Flames journalist | Canada Tonight

tributes to NHL star Johnny gdo are pouring in today they're coming from right across the league and The Wider hockey community gdo and his younger brother Matthew were killed last night while they were cycling in their home state of New Jersey gdo first made his Mark in the NHL when he was playing with Calgary he played there for nine seasons and he played the last two seasons with the Columbus Blue Jackets cbc's Sam Samson has more on gdo and why he'll be remembered as Johnny hockey Go Johnny go go go the memory of Johnny gdo still lives on at the arena he once called home he was the person who probably made me watch hockey in the first place it's one of the few bright lights that you know we've had as flames fans in this city for a long time um haven't you know had a lot to cheer for but he was one of those guys that you know even if we're losing he's just entertaining to watch we hope that he's doing well in heaven his family is okay GD and his 29-year-old brother Matthew were close both played professional hockey Johnny in the NHL and Matthew in the AHL and ECHL police say the brothers were riding bikes on this road in their home state of New Jersey Thursday the brothers were hit and killed by a suspected drunk driver they were supposed to be groomsmen at their sister's wedding Friday a family member wrote on Facebook they've lost two husbands two fathers two sons two amazing humans G Johnny GD played n Seasons with the Calgary Flames nicknamed Johnny hockey for his skill and speed gdo gave fans big moments like this overtime winning goal against the Dallas Stars in the 2022 playoff run it was just time for me to make a little bit of a change I think he left for the Columbus Blue Jackets two years ago saying he wanted to be closer to family a frustrating move for Flames fans who gave him a mixed welcome his first game back in Calgary as a physically smaller player in the NHL GD defied expectations especially those smaller kids who were told you know you're you're not going to be able to make it whether it's hockey or some other sport you're not the right size it's it's not the right fit for you and you know they can look at him and say this is this is a guy who defied those odds gd's State Side fan base now joins Canadians saying goodbye too soon he spoke highly of Columbus he wanted to raise his family he talked about that all the time a loss now mourned by family and fans Sam Sam CBC News Edmonton well to learn more about the Life and Legacy of Johnny GD let's bring in Darren Hayes or Haynes he is a journalist he's been covering the Calgary flame since 1989 he's joining us tonight from monton thank you so much for making the time for us on on a difficult day I understand you've known Johnny goodro for well over a decade how are you doing today shocked you you know I think uh basically like the the rest of the Calgary hockey Community it was just it's hard to definitely hard to wrap your around your head around something this tragic him and his brother Johnny G such a family family was such like I've never covered a player that was that had a higher a higher value on on family you know when he went to the allstar game all those years every time it was his parents it was his uncle it was his brother it was his sisters that all came with him it was a package deal and so for two of them to be lost uh it's just yeah just a tra devastating day that even though I'm not in calary today I'm on vacation I can feel it I can see it um all my friends in Social Circles back in Calgary this is hitting the city pretty hard what kinds of things are people telling you you know there's a lot of reminiscing going on you know this is a this is a guy when he came along the the team had um you know was was in need of a of a new Direction fresh face face of the franchise um probably the all-time greatest flame Jerome AA had moved on so so the team was kind of lacking an identity and and here was this fourth round pick you know star players don't come out of the fourth round very often but here's a guy that that started uh to to get um a lot of fan fan interest excitement started to build as the um as he moved on and and started putting up some pretty uh pretty big numbers at Boston College and they started to think hey maybe this is maybe this is going to be a guy that can can really uh you know really put us back on the map a little bit and and he turned into that star player he was uh electrifying as a talent um a playmaker just a real fun player to watch live um and it wasn't too long where that seeve red that so often had number 12 agila jerseys now had number 13 GD jerseys just a fan favorite from the start just that they love the little guy who was able to kind of find his way in a league that was comprised of mostly bigger players yet he found his Niche and um and really kind of just it was electric the atmosphere in the S and every time he got the puck behind the net and started carrying the puck up the ice he just knew something exciting was going to happen you know you say star players don't always come out of the fourth round they don't always come at 59 either how much was his size and his ability to just work with that uh part of what made him a good player yeah I mean that's that's the thing and and you say 59 He's listed a 59 you know I'm pretty sure that he must have had Gates skates on for that for when they had that measuring tape out um I I think that's probably even generous um but yeah that was him and he wasn't a physical player like he he he was not a physical player at all but he was able to to dodge the physical activity just because he was so elusive because he was so agile on the skates and that's something you learn when you're coming through college hockey and before that the USHL you have to learn to because you're up against kids and and and back then kids and older and young men and young adults and eventually big adults who are all bigger than you and you learn to kind of be able to dodge and weave and that sort of thing and so he really that was that was his Niche is is he was a skilled player who who I think the Skeptics were until he played that first game the tail end of the 20134 season when he signed with after outter Boston College and played the Flames final game of the season and then he went right back right into the nhls a fulltime the next year until that happened I think there was a there was an element of Doubt but he he he proved them wrong just like he was always driven to to show that yeah I may be small but I can play in this league and he sure showed that he could oh we're GNA have to leave it there but thank you so much for sharing those memories with us today sounds good that is sports journalist Darren Haynes he joined us today from monton