Watch: Fans sing 'Happy Birthday' to Johnny Gaudreau's son

A fan wearing a Johnny Gaudreau jersey enters the seating area before the game between the Calgary Flames and the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena. Aaron Doster-Imagn Images

Watch: Blue Jackets fans sing 'Happy Birthday' to Johnny Gaudreau's son

By Adam Gretz | Last updated Feb 22, 2025 9:45 PM ET

The Columbus Blue Jackets have been one of the biggest surprises in the NHL this season and entered Saturday's game against the Chicago Blackhawks right in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race. A sellout crowd filled Nationwide Arena, and along with getting a chance to watch a surprisingly competitive team in a big game, they also had a chance to welcome the family of the late Johnny Gaudreau to the game.

It also produced an incredibly special moment because Gaudreau's son, Johnny Jr., was celebrating his first birthday on Saturday.

That resulted in the entire Nationwide Arena crowd singing Happy Birthday to him.

Join us in wishing a very special boy a very special 1st birthday!

Happy birthday, Baby Johnny ❤️ pic.twitter.com/nKYaKq94V1
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) February 23, 2025

Gaudreau spent two years with the Blue Jackets before he was tragically killed by a drunk driver while on a bike ride with his brother, Matthew, over the summer.

Johnny Gaudreau and his wife, Meredith, have two children. Along with Johnny Jr., they also have a daughter, Noa.

The Blue Jackets won Saturday's game over Chicago by a 5-1 margin.

The fans at Thursday's 4 Nations Face-Off final between the United States and Canada started multiple "Johnny Hockey" chants in honor of Johnny Gaudreau. Johnny Gaudreau would have likely been a member of that team, while his jersey was kept in the locker room throughout the tournament.

Adam Gretz

Adam Gretz is a freelance writer based in Pittsburgh. He covers the NHL, NFL, MLB and NBA. Baseball is his favorite sport -- he is nearly halfway through his goal of seeing a game in every MLB ballpark. Catch him on Twitter @AGretz

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