Karri Rämö, who played with Johnny Gaudreau in Calgary, remembers his late teammate as a warm, genuine and family-oriented person.
Karri Rämö had time to get to know the American ice hockey player who died in a tragic traffic accident late Thursday evening To Johnny Gaudreau very. Rämö himself had already moved to the Calgary Flames, when New Jersey-born Gaudreau, chosen as the best player in the university league, joined the club in the spring of 2014.
The two had time to play together in Alberta for two seasons before Rämö continued his journey via Toronto to Finland.
Rämö received the sad news with a heavy heart. Johnny Gaudreau’s younger brother, two years younger, also died in the accident Matthew.
– The whole thing was a big shock. These 31- and 29-year-old guys were just at the beginning of life. Then in one second it’s all over. It’s a reminder of how raw and fragile this all is, Rämö says quietly.
Rämö remembers well when the fourth-round pick who moved from the university league to the NHL arrived in Calgary.
– He was still just a little boy, even though he was already in his twenties. I remember how he still came there with a big heart. He was a really genuine person, he was always himself in all situations and never did things for the wrong reasons. In that tough business world, authenticity and warmth made an impression.
– There is nothing but good and fun memories of him, Rämö continues.
Rämö, who played in the NHL for six seasons, remembers the American talent’s unquenchable love for the sport.
– How does such a love for the sport even arise. He loved being on the ice and playing hockey, and it didn’t really matter if he played professionally or on outdoor ice. It’s a great story of how a small player who maybe wasn’t supposed to be a top player became one of Calgary’s all-time greats. It was that love for the sport.
The sports community has been mourning for a couple of days and has shown its support for Gaudreau’s family. Johnny Gaudreau’s family included his wife and two small children. Rämö is impressed by the way the hockey community has started to support the families of the men who died.
– Above all, it tells about Johnny and what kind of mark he left. I don’t think there’s a single person in that league who has a single bad word to say about him. Things were better when Johnny was around.
Gaudreau was known as a family-oriented person who, to the surprise of many, chose Columbus as his new club two years ago when he left Calgary. There would have been tougher takers for the attacker who scored no less than 115 power points in the previous season, but Gaudreau, who was from New Jersey, wanted to be closer to his family.
– Corona certainly played a big role in that, when there were travel restrictions and others. They could not get close to the family and the family could not visit them. For Johnny, there is never just Johnny Gaudreau, there was Gaudreau’s family. They have a really warm family community, and with the families of sisters and brothers, it has only grown.
– The thoughts are strongly there with the family and their coping. I know how close they are and now there are several children, sisters, wives, fathers and mothers. It’s so shocking.
On the other hand, Rämö believes that the family supports each other in a difficult situation.
– There is Johnny Junior and one smaller child. To that extent, that legacy already exists, and there is a good reason to move on and cherish his memory.
The brothers, who were cycling, died in New Jersey when, according to state police, a man who was driving under the influence hit Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau while passing another car. Gaudreau was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident.