Teammates Preparing Gaudreau for Emotional Return to Calgary in Very Unique Way
Johnny Gaudreau is set to return to the Scotiabank Saddledome for the first time since his departure earlier in the summer and his new teammates have a few tricks up their sleeves for how he can best prepare himself for a potential onslaught from the crowd.
During the Columbus Blue Jackets morning stake, his teammates were heard booing from the bench and on the ice, which will more or less be the sentiment of the crowd tonight in Calgary.
The long-time Calgary Flame was drafted in the 4th round of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft and spent his first 9 seasons in the NHL with the Flames before leaving this summer for the Columbus Blue Jackets. It wasn't necessarily a surprise as rumours were out and about for years about whether or not he'd re-up with the Flames once he became an unrestricted free agent but Columbus was not his primary destination.
Gaudreau had hopes to play for his boy-hood team in Philadelphia but they decided they weren't interested - or in other words couldn't find ways to alleviate cap space - and balked at the idea. He was then considering New Jersey before Columbus swooped in the final hour.
He will be representing the Jackets at the All-Star game with his 13 goals and 44 points in 46 games but Columbus is currently in last place with 30 points in 46 games. The Flames on the other hand are just on the outside looking in of a playoff spot and the Devils are currently second in the Metropolitan Division.
He wanted to go to a winner and he believed he made the right choice and looking back at it now, it was not the right choice for either party. The Flames and their fans were not pleased by the situation so there's a good chance the boo-birds will be raining down on the once-beloved Flame tonight and every game from here on out.
