Gaudreau finally addresses Flames fans, provides them with his rationale for his decision to leave
After a gut punch was delivered to the Calgary Flames organization and their fans from Johnny Gaudreau deciding to leave without getting anything back, the star forward penned an article directly addressing the high emotions being felt throughout Western Canada.
Gaudreau shocked the hockey world when he randomly decided on the Columbus Blue Jackets as his long-term place to play citing it was a personal family decision.
Although the New Jersey native would make it seem like he wanted to be near or in his hometown, and the teams that surround it, Johnny Hockey details his decision in a long, open letter to all the Calgary faithful. There were many factors that came to his decision as well as being in a place where he and his young family could lay down their roots, while also providing a simpler way for family to visit and come watch him play.
Gaudreau had a lot to say to the Calgary faithful, but at the center of it all was his desire to be closer to his family - particularly after a health scare involving his father. I think we can all relate to him in the sense that losing touch or being away from your family at a time of crisis can be immensely challenging.
But as much as I love hockey family is everything to me. It's the most important connection I have. And a few years ago, I think I started to realize how much you sacrifice when you give 100% to your career. I felt like I needed to do more to center my family in my life after we experienced some hard times.
My dad's heart attack in 2018 was a big moment for that. It was really so bad and he's lucky to be here today. A very scary situation. And seeing him in that hospital bed it hit me extremely hard. I thought about how little I'd seen my parents since I'd been in the league. These moments and experiences change you as a person."
With plenty of money left on the table, and a direct "no" to everything the Flames could have done in their power to keep him a Flame, you really do get the sense that Johnny Hockey is being genuine and that he really did do his best to put his family first. In the end, his decision had very little to do with the actual hockey aspect and more to do with putting himself in a better position to be able to support his family.
Gaudreau's article provides a lot of insight into the external factors that came into his decision. We suggest giving it a full read at the link below.
https://www.theplayerstribune.com/posts/johnny-gaudreau-nhl-hockey-calgary-flames-columbus-blue-jackets
