Wearing a donkey hat might not seem like a badge of honour to some but for the Columbus Blue Jackets, it’s exactly that, and also a way to honour the memory of their teammate Johnny Gaudreau.
Gaudreau was killed along with his brother Matthew on Aug. 29 when they were hit by a car driven by an alleged impaired driver while bicycling near their hometown in Oldsman Township, New Jersey.
Following the Blue Jackets 6-4 win over the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday night, Sean Monahan debuted the team’s new celebratory tradition. Sporting a donkey hat with a No. 13 patch on the side, Gaudreau’s teammate for nearly a decade explained “if you knew John, he probably called you a donkey a thousand times. It’s something we’re doing for him.”
It felt fitting that Monahan was the first to receive the post-win donkey hat considering the relationship he had with Gaudreau. The two spent nine seasons together on the Calgary Flames and part of why Monahan signed a five-year deal with Columbus this past summer was to reunite with his former teammate.
“I think he’s probably looking down and laughing at me right now,” Monahan continued, per Bally Sports Columbus.
Monahan earned the hat thanks to a one-goal, three-point night in the victory over the Avalanche, the team’s first win of the early season.
The donkey hat nod to Gaudreau replaces the Jackets’ long-standing tradition of handing out a “kepi,” a replica Civil War hat, following victories. It was the team’s way of internally highlighting a player of the game.
But now they have a new tradition. One that honours the memory of their friend and teammate, and “it’s something that obviously puts a smile on our faces.”
Columbus is also wearing a special sticker on their helmets throughout the season to honour both Johnny and Matthew. The sticker features GAUDREAU, two doves between the numbers 13, which Johnny wore throughout his career, and 21, which Matthew wore at Boston College.
Meanwhile, goalie Elvis Merzlinkis has also decided to honour Johnny by featuring the No. 13 on his mask.
