Johnny Gaudreau's wife Meredith acknowledges Cole Caufield's jersey number change

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Axel Williams
September 8, 2024 (8:10 PM)

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Following the death of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau, Cole Caufield revealed that he would be changing his Montreal Canadiens number 22 to the number 13.

This was in honor of Johnny Hockey, who he saw as a mentor and a confidant who inspired him to play to the best of his abilities. In his Instagram post announcing the decision, Caufield revealed just how much Gaudreau meant to him and it was a truly incredible message.

"We all lost an amazing person, both on and off the ice, in last week's tragedy. My deepest condolences go to the entire Gaudreau family, especially Johnny's wife and two kids, who I had the pleasure of meeting. Nothing will be able to fill the void in their families and loved ones hearts, but I hope it provides some comfort to know how these two positively impacted the lives of so many. They will truly be missed.

Getting to play with your hero is something that most people only dream of. I was lucky enough to be Johnny's teammate this past summer and it didn't take long to realize how great of a person he was. He was the most welcoming, genuine, and funniest guy I have ever met. He was someone everyone gravitated towards and I took every chance I could to be around him. Not only was he an amazing hockey player and teammate, but he was down to earth and truly cared about every person he encountered.

The last few years playing as #22 have been some of the best years of my life. It truly has been a dream come true and I will forever hold those memories and that number close to me. I wore #13 at a point in my career because of Johnny and now I will be wearing it again to honor him. He paved the way for smaller players and proved we had a future in this game at the highest level. I will forever be grateful to him for inspiring me and others.

Rest in Peace, Johnny hockey."

In the replies of Caufield's post, Kevin Hayes of the Pittsburgh Penguins gave a nice shoutout to Caufield. He commended him for the move, simply saying "Love this eloc." Of course, Eloc being Cole's name spelled backwards.

Meredith Gaudreau, the wife of Johnny, entered Hayes' replies with an acknowledgment. Ultimately, it just goes to show how much Caufield and Hayes meant to the NHL superstar.

"Highlight of his summer was with you guys. He loves you eloc."

Our heart continues to go out to the Gaudreau family and the hockey community during this incredibly difficult time. We hope everyone affected is able to find peace and healing.