There is something natural about watching Guy Gaudreau in his USA tracksuit skating around Bell Centre ice with the rest of the American players and coaches.
After all, the father of late long-time NHL player Johnny and his younger brother, Matthew, was a long-time youth coach and full-time hockey dad.
So being on the ice is kind of like being at home for Guy.
That he was sharing the ice with this talented American roster, many of whom knew his sons well, made the moment all the more magical.
As the players and coaches came on the ice to start their practice, Guy skated alongside Noah Hanifin who played with Johnny for the Calgary Flames and with Matthew at Boston College.
“He was just chatting and we were skating around the circle before practice just talking about our curves and our stick flexes and stuff like that,” Hanifin said. “He’s just so passionate about hockey he loves the game and a lot of these guys on our team knew Johnny really well and we were good friends with him so he knows a lot of us, and we wish we could have him here the whole tournament.”
The American squad, led by general manager, Bill Guerin, have taken great care to ensure that the brothers are well-remembered.
There’s an excellent chance that Johnny would have been on this American squad. A jersey with his name and familiar No. 13 has moved from dressing room to dressing room with the team as they prepare for their first game at the 4 Nations Face-Off against Finland on Feb. 13.
But the jersey and a dressing room stall reserved for Johnny Gaudreau are static. Having Guy Gaudreau join the team for a special dinner on Monday night and then come onto the ice for practice and join the team for their official team photo, is a poignant reminder of just how much the boys’ loss has touched the game of hockey.
It’s also a reminder that sometimes out of grief can come something heartwarming and meaningful.
“It means a lot. I played with Matthew at BC and Johnny for all those years in Calgary, so I’ve known Guy for a long time, and they have such an amazing family,” Hanifin said.
“I think just to have him here and have him to dinner last night, get him on the ice with the guys and the coaches, I think it's something special. I know he appreciates it. It means a lot to him just because of how much he loves the game, he loves hockey, and yeah, we were really happy he was able to come and spend some time with us,” Hanifin added.
Dylan Larkin once spent a week with the Gaudreaus and was among the many from the hockey world who attended the brothers’ funeral. He, too, was touched to see Guy in the mix with the rest of the team on Monday.
"I know he's just been through the absolute hardest time,” Larkin said. “To see him on the ice today, at a time so difficult, to see a smile and to see him out there when Johnny should be out with us, it's first class by USA Hockey to do that. It means the world to me that they brought him in.”
It’s not the first time Guy Gaudreau has been on the ice with NHL players since his sons’ deaths.
John Tortorella, head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers and assistant coach for the Americans at 4 Nations, brought Guy Gaudreau in to take part in a couple of practices early in the season. He also skated with Johnny’s team in Columbus and his former team in Calgary.
“From our standpoint, it's an honour to have Guy out there,” Sullivan said. “Obviously, the hockey world is, in a lot of ways, it's a small world and it's a family. With respect to the United States hockey world, it's very much a family. All of us feel a certain weight to support Guy and his family through a difficult time. His boys had such an impact on USA Hockey. They had such an impact on hockey in general. To have Guy out as part of our coaching staff is a thrill for us. Certainly, we want to show him and offer him the support through a difficult time.”
Not only did Guy Gaudreau join the USA coaches, staff and players for their picture at center ice at Bell Centre, he posed for a picture with the handful of American players who also attended Boston College.
He told NHL.com and The Associated Press that he had planned on going home Tuesday but was asked to hang around and join the team on the ice.
"I love the game of hockey, and my boys loved the game of hockey and those guys, the kids that play, the guys here, it's just a great game and USA has done a tremendous job of developing the talent we have,” Guy said.
“It's pretty cool the players still look up to [Johnny] and respect him as a player and really wanted him here to be part of their team,” Guy added. “You walk in the locker room; they have his jersey hanging. I've always said a hockey player is the most humble athlete there is. If you're going talk to them, they talk to you just like normal people talk to you, and they don't think they're any better than anyone else. They just love the game, and they're easy to talk to. It means a lot to Jane and I and my daughters to have me involved and the picture with the team. It means a lot."
He told a story about Chris Kreider, who played one season with Johnny at Boston College, asking Johnny for one of his sticks to add to a personal collection and how surprised Gaudreau was that his stick would have any value to anyone.
“He was a good person. He loved the game. He loved his teammates, loved being with his teammates,” Guy Gaudreau said.
Having Guy around certainly brought back a flood of memories of his relationship with Johnny for Kreider.
“He’s here in spirit,” Kreider said. “I guess the biggest thing that I took away from playing with John and getting to know John is just how much fun he had in the game of hockey. How humble he was. He was a superstar, but he didn’t think less of himself, or he just thought so highly of everyone else. He just loved playing the game of hockey.”
Guy also joined “Miracle on Ice” hero Mike Eruzione, Eruzione’s teammate Rob McClanahan and Hockey Hall of Fame inductee Mike Modano in addressing the players during their team dinner Monday night.
“I thought it was important that he was there,” Bill Guerin said. “Johnny and Matthew were a big part of USA Hockey. Tremendous loss, but they're with us in spirit. I just think it was important that he was there.”
“He's an amazing guy, we love having him around,” the GM added.
