© Craig Merz

COLUMBUS — Flowers, hockey sticks, memories and tears were as much of a presence as the suffocating 100-degree heat index that enveloped the plaza of Nationwide Arena on Friday afternoon.

Under a mural of him shooting the puck in his home Columbus Blue Jackets jersey, a steady stream of fans came to mourn the loss of Johnny Gaudreau and celebrate his life. The Blue Jackets forward, 31, and his brother, Matthew, 29, were killed Thursday evening when they were struck by a car while riding bicycles in their home state of New Jersey.

Stephen Banks, 22, made the nearly two-hour trip north from Cincinnati to mourn Gaudreau.

“Johnny is what got me back into hockey,” he said. “He signed (with the Blue Jackets) on my birthday (July 13, 2022), and just watching him, it was electric. He’s what got me to start playing hockey in the first place.”

Banks was wearing a Gaudreau jersey he purchased the day of the signing.

Much of the hockey world was shocked by Gaudreau’s choice to join the Blue Jackets after playing his first nine NHL seasons with the Calgary Flames. For many fans, it was a seminal moment for the franchise and surpassed what he did on the ice in his short time in Columbus.

That was a recurring theme here Friday among people who were asked for their favorite memories of Gaudreau.

“It was when he chose to come here, that was it,” said Bradley Goltz, 33, of Columbus. “The first person I called was my dad, and we were both so pumped, because we just knew that this franchise was going in a positive direction. We knew it from Day One.”

Standing next to him in a signed Gaudreau Flames jersey was James Russell, 25, also of Columbus. He, too, recalled phoning his father when Gaudreau became a member of the Blue Jackets.

His memory is still fresh of players such as Sergei Bobrovsky, Artemi Panarin, Matt Duchene and others opting to play elsewhere after the Blue Jackets’ first-round sweep of the Tampa Bay Lightning, who had the NHL’s best record that season, in the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

After that, there was a feeling that players didn’t want to live in Columbus or were eager to leave the Blue Jackets. Gaudreau thought otherwise, mentioning Columbus as a great place to raise a family. His children, Noa and Johnny, were born in the city.

“He picked Columbus,” Russell said. “That means something.”

Goltz said, “He was the savior of Columbus.”

As fans silently approached the main entrance of Nationwide Arena — the one with the giant mural of Gaudreau, Damon Severson, Zach Werenski and Boone Jenner — hockey was not on their minds.

© Craig Merz

A woman who did not want to be identified said she was heartbroken for Gaudreau’s family, including wife Meredith and their children. She stood and stared for several moments in disbelief.

Goltz said he felt much the same.

“I have two little girls with a third along the way,” Goltz said. “I couldn’t imagine what they’re going through right now. I’m still in shock at everything.”

Gaudreau (5-foot-9, 163 pounds) was an inspiration to many smaller players.

“What was it about him?” Banks said. “I just loved the underdog, the undersized mentality like him, Cam Atkinson, Mats Zuccarello. Size never mattered to Johnny. I think how crafty he was, just what he brought to the game. I mean, such a fun, multidimensional player.

“Then when you add to a great player with a great story, great character and it’s the full package. This was a family guy who came to Columbus to raise his family, they were all super close, and the whole plot was great.”

© Craig Merz

Members of the Columbus sports community, including the the Ohio State University men’s and women’s hockey teams and the Columbus Crew of Major League Soccer, expressed their condolences on social media. Several Crew staff members and fans spent time at the memorial, and the team’s supporters group announced it will go silent in the 13th minute of the home match against New York City FC on Saturday as a tribute to Gaudreau, who wore No. 13.

Russell said the outpouring of emotion shows the bond Columbus has with the Blue Jackets.

“You could be here a long time or two years like Johnny. We’ll embrace you,” he said. “He was one of us and will be forever.”