It's almost the stuff of legend now; Gaudreau growing up learning to skate by tracking a trail of Skittles candy on the ice inside Hollydell Ice Arena in Sewell, New Jersey, the rink where his father, Guy, was serving as hockey director.
The Johnny Hockey story begins in Carneys Point, New Jersey, and goes through Dubuque of the United States Hockey League to the campus of Boston College, where he won the Hobey Baker Award in 2014 as the NCAA's best player, to the international stage, where he won a gold medal with the United States at the 2013 IIHF World Junior Tournament, and on to the NHL.
It's almost the stuff of legend now; Gaudreau growing up learning to skate by tracking a trail of Skittles candy on the ice inside Hollydell Ice Arena in Sewell, New Jersey, the rink where his father, Guy, was serving as hockey director.
The Johnny Hockey story begins in Carneys Point, New Jersey, and goes through Dubuque of the United States Hockey League to the campus of Boston College, where he won the Hobey Baker Award in 2014 as the NCAA's best player, to the international stage, where he won a gold medal with the United States at the 2013 IIHF World Junior Tournament, and on to the NHL.
Selected in the fourth round (No. 104) by the Calgary Flames in the 2011 NHL Draft, the 5-foot-9, 157-pound left wing quickly became one of the League's most exciting players. He made his NHL debut in the final game of the 2013-14 season and scored a goal in a 5-1 loss to the Vancouver Canucks.
That was a hint of things to come. Gaudreau played 80 games in 2014-15, scored 24 goals and was a finalist for the Calder Trophy, given to the NHL's top rookie. He led all rookies in assists with 40, tied Mark Stone of the Ottawa Senators for the rookie lead in points with 64 and had 14 multiple-point games.
But Gaudreau wasn't finished. He also helped Calgary to its first playoff appearance in six seasons and led the Flames with nine points in 11 games.
In 2016-17, he won the Lady Byng Trophy for skill, sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct, then set NHL career highs in assists (60) and points (84) in 2017-18.
Gaudreau scored 100 points in a season for the first time in his NHL career when the Flames defeated the Seattle Kraken 5-3 on April 13, 2022. He became the 11th different United States-born player in NHL history to score at least 100 points and second since Patrick Kane for the Chicago Blackhawks (110, 2018-19; 106, 2015-16). His finished with 115 points, the second-most by a United States-born player in one season behind Pat LaFontaine (148) in 1992-93.
On July 13, 2022, Gaudreau signed a seven-year $68.25 million contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
NOTES & TRANSACTIONS
- USHL All-Rookie Team (2011)
- USHL Second All-Star Team (2011)
- USHL Rookie of the Year (2011)
- Hockey East All-Rookie Team (2012)
- Hockey East First All-Star Team (2013, 2014)
- Hockey East Player of the Year (2013, 2014)
- NCAA East First All-American Team (2013, 2014)
- Hobey Baker Memorial Award (Top U.S. Collegiate Player) (2014)
- NHL All-Rookie Team (2015)
- Played in NHL All-Star Game (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023)
- NHL First All-Star Team (2022)
- Signed as a free agent by Columbus, July 13, 2022.
