Heartbreak and tears remain omnipresent as Blue Jackets honor Johnny Gaudreau and his brother ahead of home opener

By David Close and Kevin Dotson, CNN

(CNN) — If there were dry eyes at Nationwide Arena, the game broadcast didn’t show them.

Ahead of Tuesday night’s home opener against the Florida Panthers, the Columbus Blue Jackets hosted a ceremony to honor and remember a pair of brothers whose recent deaths have impacted so many people.

It is evident raw emotion still prevails following the tragic deaths of Blue Jackets star Johnny Gaudreau and his younger brother Matthew on August 29, when a suspected drunk driver struck and killed the siblings while they were riding their bikes the night before their sister Kate’s wedding.

Both the Blue Jackets and the Panthers participated in pregame warm-ups wearing Gaudreau No. 13 jerseys.

With many friends and members of the Gaudreau family in attendance, Johnny Gaudreau’s widow Meredith, along with his brother-in-law Eddie, carried Gaudreau’s children Noa and Johnny to center ice.

Meredith wiped away tears as a banner featuring Gaudreau’s number 13 and “1993-2024” was unveiled. The Gaudreau parents and sisters hugged each other in the bench area as the banner was raised to the rafters.

Afterwards, the fans in attendance started a chant of “Johnny Hockey,” a reference to the left wing’s nickname.

When it came time to drop the puck, the Blue Jackets left Gaudreau’s position empty as the players on both teams’ benches stood for the emotional moment.

The puck was tapped to Johnny’s empty place on the ice as 13 seconds were allowed to run off the clock before an official skated in to pick up the puck. The game was then restarted.

Earlier on Tuesday night, Meredith Gaudreau spoke to those gathered at the arena in a pre-recorded video message.

“Hey, fifth line. I want to thank you all for your support through this time. Your outpouring of love has helped our family tremendously,” she said in the video.

“As the team gets ready to take a warm up before the game, I don’t want anyone to be sad. I want you all to be inspired by the life that John lived, that means love your family first and foremost. And when it’s time to drop the puck, let’s love the game that John loved. Thank you and go Jackets.”

The wives of both brothers are pregnant.

In her eulogy during her late husband’s funeral in early September, Meredith revealed she was in her ninth week of pregnancy with the couple’s third child.

“In less than three years of marriage, we’ve created a family of five. It doesn’t even sound possible. But I look at it as the ultimate blessing,” she said on September 10.

“How lucky am I to be the mother of John’s three babies?”

Matthew’s wife, Madeline Gaudreau, is expecting the couple’s first child, a boy,  next month.

Earlier this week, she shared pictures and a video on social media from a recent baby shower thrown for baby Tripp.

“Hug your loved ones, cherish your time on earth, be grateful, help others, stay positive, be humble, do what is right, and be kind. It truly makes a difference in your own life & the lives of others! BE A GOOD HUMAN like Matty & Johnny,” Madeline Gaudreau posted on Instagram.

The older brother should have been on the ice Tuesday night, playing in his 11th NHL season and third with the Jackets.

Instead, his No. 13 was seen throughout the building, with the team handing out patches with the 31-year-old’s famed jersey number to everyone at the arena.

In another subtle tip of the cap to the late NHL All-Star, the team announced ahead of the game that puck drop was set for 7:13 p.m. ET —13 minutes later than the usual top-of-the-hour time.

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