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Sean Monahan reveals emotional reaction to seeing Johnny Gaudreau's locker

Originally posted on Hockey Unplugged | By Axel Williams | Last updated Sep 29, 2024 1:44 PM ET

Sean Monahan was one of Johnny Gaudreau's best friends in the league, and this season, they were going to reunite on the Columbus Blue Jackets.

However, Johnny and his brother Matthew were tragically killed in an accident, one month ago today. This tragedy has been hard to fathom, and many are in absolute shock over what took place. Now, the Blue Jackets are looking to honor Gaudreau. They have numerous plans for the beginning of the season. Moreover, they have been leaving Gaudreau's locker occupied by all of his gear and even his jersey.

After a preseason game on Saturday night, Monahan spoke about the emotions involved here. As you can imagine, it has been difficult for him to navigate this tragedy. That said, he did note that seeing Gaudreau's gear sparks some good memories. It just goes to show how much Gaudreau meant to his peers.

"Anytime I see his stuff around the locker room it brings back good memories for me."

Overall, this is a very sad time for the Blue Jackets, the NHL as a whole, and Gaudreau's entire family. Our thoughts and prayers are with them during this extremely difficult time. We hope that everyone who has been affected is able to find some sort of peace and comfort through this. There is no doubt that the hockey community has united in a big way here.

This article first appeared on Hockey Unplugged and was syndicated with permission.

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