Saints to Retire Johnny Gaudreau's Number Before Saturday's Game
January 9, 2025 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Dubuque Fighting Saints News Release
Dubuque, IA - The USHL's Dubuque Fighting Saints will honor Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matty in a pregame ceremony that will take place on Saturday, January 11, 2025 before the team faces off against the Sioux City Musketeers at ImOn Arena in Dubuque, IA. Johnny Gaudreau, considered one of the greatest players in Fighting Saints history and an owner of the team, will have his number eight (8) retired, a first for the Fighting Saints organization.
The pregame memorial ceremony will include members of the Gaudreau family: father Guy, mother Jane, his sisters Katie and Kristen and Johnny's widow, Meredith.
In attendance will also be Glenn Hefferan, Commissioner of the USHL who will announce the Gaudreau Award which will have each member club of the USHL nominate a player that embodies the qualities of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau, as decided by teammates, coaches and general managers. Those qualities include: Excellence in Hockey, the Spirit of the Game, and Care & Responsibility.
The Fighting Saints will donate proceeds from the team's 50-50 on Saturday to the John and Matthew Gaudreau Foundation, which will fund an adaptive playground at a school for kids with disabilities in South Jersey. In honor of #8, the 50/50 raffle at Saturday's game will be 1 ticket for $5, 8 tickets for $10, and 88 tickets for $20.
"While Johnny only played one season with us, it was a memorable and magical season and he was instrumental in the Fighting Saints winning the Clark Cup in our first year back to Dubuque," said Brad Kwong, managing partner. "His number 8 hanging in the rafters will be an inspiration to every young hockey player who plays in this arena and particularly to those players who suit up for the Fighting Saints. His enthusiastic spirit and love for the game will forever be present."
In his one season with Dubuque, Gaudreau scored 72 points to lead the team as a 17-year-old. He was named the USHL's Rookie of the Year and helped the Fighting Saints capture the Clark Cup as USHL postseason champions. Gaudreau had 11 points in 11 games during the magical run that current St. Louis Blues coach Jim Montgomery helmed.
"When we were assembling the team that first year, we looked for players with a high hockey IQ and compete-level who came from good families," said Montgomery. "Johnny was the epitome of those qualities. He was a uniquely gifted player who came from an equally special family. It's only fitting that the Fighting Saints retire his number as no other player could be his equal."
After that season, the undersized dynamo was drafted 104th overall by the Calgary Flames. He spent the next three seasons with Boston College, the last year playing with brother Matthew.
Johnny's journey was marked by remarkable achievements. He won a national championship as a freshman at BC and took home the Hobey Baker as a junior. His decorated NHL career saw him reach the NHL All-Star Game seven times and earn several other accolades and awards, a source of pride for the entire hockey community.
He also became a minority owner of the Fighting Saints while still an active NHL player when he and Saints4Life Acquisitions, LLC, a group that includes Fighting Saints alums and current National Hockey League (NHL) player Zemgus Girgensons, NHL executive Peter Luukko, and Stanley Cup champion coach Dan Bylsma, purchased the equity stake previously held by Philip Falcone in June 2018.
"Once he became an NHL star, he wanted to do something special and give back to create opportunities for the next generation of hockey players and he did so by purchasing a stake in the Dubuque Fighting Saints," said Luukko, who knew Gaudreau as a young hockey player in the Philadelphia region when Luukko was President of the Philadelphia Flyers. Luukko's son, Nick, played alongside Johnny in Dubuque, and later coached Matthew at the Reading Royals.
"Johnny and Matty were special guys who had a love for each other and a love for the game of hockey," added Luukko. "As we honor their memory and their significant impact on the game, we will forever remember Johnny's contributions to the Fighting Saints, as no one will ever wear the number eight again as a Fighting Saint."
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