NHL legend Jaromir Jagr joined the long list of people in the hockey world to post touching tributes to Johnny Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew, after the two were killed last week.
Jagr and Johnny played together on the Calgary Flames at the end of the 1990 first-round pick’s career.
The two linked up for a memorable play as Johnny assisted the last of Jagr’s 766 NHL goals with a brilliant pass, which left an easy tap-in for the Czech legend.
In the wake of Johnny and Matthew being killed by a drunk driver last week, Jagr made a touching Instagram post with a video of the goal.
“I honestly never thought I’d write a text like this to a post,” starts the caption. “[Yeah], that was my last NHL goal. Yes, that was a pretty nice goal. Yes, it was a beautiful pass above all. Unfortunately, life can sometimes be incredibly cruel.”
“Thank you, Johnny Gaudreau, for being there and giving hope to all the guys with your incredible performances that though they are not the biggest and toughest, they can succeed at the NHL world-class just like you did. My condolences to the whole family. RIP to you and your brother.”
The Gaudreau family received an outpouring of support from the hockey world in the days following the tragic event.
Fans have created tributes to the two brothers in multiple locations, including the Saddledome in Calgary. The GoFundMe created for Matthew’s pregnant wife quickly surpassed its goal and has raised more than US$500,000.
Jagr wasn’t the only all-time great player to post a heart-wrenching tribute. Wayne Gretzky also made a statement on the terrible incident, which has shaken the hockey world to its core.
“Janet, myself, and our entire family are devastated at this senseless tragedy. We are sending our love, thoughts and prayers to the Gaudreau family. We lost two great young men who were loved and [had] a huge presence both on and off the ice. Johnny and Matthew, you will always be remembered and missed.”