When Calgary Flames general manager Brad Treliving confirmed Johnny Gaudreau would be leaving the team after eight seasons, ears across the NHL world perked up. One of the league's top players would be hitting unrestricted free agency, and only too many teams were interested in adding him to their roster.'
The wait for an answer as to where he would go didn't last long.
A day later, the 29-year-old agreed to a deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets, one of the least likely contenders for the left winger's signature. A developing team stacked with young players, the Blue Jackets offered less money than others, but for Gaudreau, the decision came down to something much more important – his family.
“My family's from New Jersey, and my wife's family's in Pennsylvania,” Gaudreau recently told me in Columbus. “We both grew up with big families, and that was an important part of our lives. After playing so far away from home for so long, Columbus was a perfect option for us. It's close enough to home but far enough that we can have our own space to start our own family. That was the reason.”
it truly doesn't get any better ??@johngaudreau03 | #CBJ pic.twitter.com/qNaX8eixGl