Both brothers were tragically killed by Sean Higgins when they were struck by Higgins who was impaired at the time and as more news came out regarding the situation; it's not pretty whatsoever.
But as tributes poured in from fellow players, fans, friends, family, politicians, professional sports teams and so many more; one more tribute was in the works and boy, it's a tearjerker.
The Gaudreau family was shown to be extremely emotional during the tribute on Friday and it was a lovely bit of class by the Philadelphia Rebels to host a tribute to the family before their game against the Northeast Generals. The family spoke before the game and thanked everyone for their kind words and tributes, as well as the family sporting jerseys reminiscent of both brothers.
But in the latest tribute, the Hollydell Ice Arena has taken to changing the name of their 'Futures' arena to 'The Gaudreau Rink' in honor of the fallen brothers. It's a wonderful display of class and shows the love the hockey world had for Johnny and Matthew. Both brothers used to play extensively on the same ice, so the connection runs deep and this is just a wonderful way to pay homage to them.
The arena as well was home to tributes to the Gaudreau brothers, much like the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary and the Nationwide Arena in Columbus.
It looks like Hollydell will forever be home for the Gaudreau's and they ended up carving a legacy that will last for generations to come.
POLL | ||
15 SEPTEMBRE | 223 ANSWERS Hockey rink to be named in honor of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau in heartwarming tribute Should the NHL rename the Lady Byng to the Johnny Gaudreau Sportsmanship Award? | ||
Yes | 150 | 67.3 % |
No | 73 | 32.7 % |
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