Meredith Gaudreau in letter to Johnny: ‘You loved Calgary so much'
In a heartfelt letter to her late husband Johnny, published by The Players' Tribune just days before Father's Day, Meredith Gaudreau refers to Calgary as 'one of the most important places we ever spent time in' and reminisces about her introduction to the city — and the rink — where he was starring for the Flames.
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Meredith recounts her arrival at YYC, and then heading to the Saddledome for a game that night.
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Johnny was a fan favourite forward for the Flames for eight seasons. At 31, he was still in the prime of his NHL career when he and his younger brother, Matthew, were killed last August when they were struck by a vehicle while riding bicycles along a rural road in their home state of New Jersey.
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Meredith gave birth to their third child, a boy named Carter, in April.
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'Gosh, do you remember my first trip there? How I had to ask my mom where my passport was?' Meredith wrote for The Players' Tribune in a letter that is titled 'Thank you for being perfect, John.' 'Because I had never been to Canada …. We had to check that it wasn't expired. I landed in Calgary and I didn't know what customs were, or why my cell phone wasn't working, or how I'd ever find your friend to pick me up. I was so worried, and then I remember looking at this billboard and there you were, number 13, in your Flames jersey. The coolest guy in town. I was thinking, What in the world…….. Where am I?
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'You were the first star of the night,' she continued. 'I saw hundreds of people in GAUDREAU jerseys. It was all so surreal. After the game you called me and I was lost again. I was in the concourse waiting for you and couldn't figure out how to get down and find you. 'What am I supposed to do, John? Just tell them I'm here to see Johnny Gaudreau?!' We both laughed about it and went for a drink that night. You didn't say a thing about the game. You just wanted to hear about my day, about me. The coolest guy in town. Coolest guy in the world.
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'You loved Calgary so much. And I loved that about you. You were so proud to be a Flame. You showed me around town with a big smile on your face. All your favourite spots, your favourite people. I liked hearing all the Alberta accents — it still cracks me up to this day. I think we walked every inch of that city together. Pretty soon I fell in love with it, too.'
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Meredith also recounts how her husband grappled with the decision to depart Calgary as an unrestricted free agent in July of 2022.
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He ultimately signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets, wanting to be closer to his family — and hers — in the eastern U.S. She was, at the time, 36 weeks pregnant with their first child.
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'Your contract was up, and you had to think about your career and your family and your legacy in Calgary,' Meredith wrote. 'And I know how hard it was on you. You weren't eating like usual, you barely slept. I'd feel you leave the bed at night and go to think about it. You loved being a Flame. I know that. And you knew how painful it would be to leave. I kept telling you, 'Whatever you choose, John, I will be happy.' I told you I loved Calgary, too. And how fortunate I felt to even be in this position, how lucky we both were. You knew that.
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