Except translation, this story has not been edited by achinews staff and is published from a syndicated feed.
John Tortorella had a former hockey coach to help him Monday at Philadelphia Flyers training camp – the father of the late John and Matthew Gaudreau, who were guests.
The Flyers tapped their sticks to appreciate Guy Gaudreau, a former hockey coach at Hollydell Ice Arena and Gloucester Catholic High School in New Jersey, when he hit the ice to assist with drills during practice. The Flyers shook Gaudreau’s hand at the end of the skate in appreciation and thanked him for helping.
“He was hesitant at first, and we kind of let him go to his schedule,” Tortorella said. “I think it worked out really well today. I gave him my camp book. We’re going to check in next week to see if we can get him out a few more times and get him involved. I don’t want it to be, ‘Just come out here.’ I want him to be a part of it. I think it will be therapeutic for him to be around us and run some drills.”
Tortorella said he had never met Gaudreau, a former hockey player and coach who raised his family nearby, until Monday’s practice in New Jersey. Tortorella said Gaudreau has an open invitation to return and help the Flyers at any time.
“I never met Johnny and Matt in my travels as a coach,” Tortorella told reporters at the Flyers’ complex in Voorhees. “But their family is here. Horrible situation going on. He is a coach. He has done a great job with some of the youth out here. I thought it was perfect just to have him in with us.”
Tortorella joked that Gaudreau gives him a hard time yelling at players to skate harder during practice.
“A lot of people know him in the organization because of his reputation,” Tortorella said.
Tortorella attended the brothers’ funeral last month in a Philadelphia suburb.
“I thought both women were so strong in the way they handled themselves,” Tortorella said. “No one can imagine. No one can. I hope to get to know the family. I think a lot of coaches want to get to know the family, the girls, Matt’s family. It’s horrible what happened. It’s still pretty fresh. It is here. It is with us. Down the street. We want to be part of it and try to help.”
Columbus Blue Jackets star John Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew, were killed on August 29 when police say they were hit by a suspected drunk driver as they rode their bikes on a country road in South Jersey on the eve of their sister’s wedding. Katie. The driver who police say hit him has been charged with two counts of vehicular death, along with reckless driving, possession of an open container and consumption of alcohol in a motor vehicle.
John Gaudreau, known as “Johnny Hockey,” played 10 full seasons in the league and was about to enter his third with the Blue Jackets after signing a seven-year, $68 million contract in 2022. He played his first eight seasons with the Calgary Flames, a tenure that included becoming one of the sport’s premier players and a fan favorite across North America.
“We don’t want it to be an everyday story,” Tortorella said. “We want to help. To be in a locker room, coach to coach, player to coach, guys talking to him, I hope it helps a little bit.”
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NHL AP:
(Except translation, this story has not been edited by achinews staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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