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Montreal Canadiens winger Cole Caufield will wear No. 13 this season in honor of late NHL star Johnny Gaudreau.
Caufield, who has worn No. 22 for his four seasons with the Canadiens, announced the change Tuesday on Instagram.
B/R Open Ice @BR_OpenIce
Cole Caufield announced he’s changing his jersey number to 13 to honor Johnny Gaudreau. ❤️
“I wore #13 at a point in my career because of Johnny and now I will be wearing it again to honor him. He paved the way for smaller players and proved we had a future in this game at the… pic.twitter.com/yqj6CZH5lP
Caufield wrote:
“We all lost an amazing person, both on and off the ice, in last week’s tragedy. My deepest condolences go to the entire Gaudreau family, especially Johnny’s wife and two kids, who I had the pleasure of meeting. Nothing will be able to fill the void in their families and loved ones hearts, but I hope it provides some comfort to know how these two positively impacted the lives of so many. They will truly be missed.
Getting to play with your hero is something that most people only dream of. I was lucky enough to be Johnny’s teammate this past summer and it didn’t take long to realize how great of a person he was. He was the most welcoming, genuine, and funniest guy I have ever met. He was someone everyone gravitated towards and I took every chance I could to be around him. Not only was he an amazing hockey player and teammate, but he was down to earth and truly cared about every person he encountered.
The last few years playing as #22 have been some of the best years of my life. It truly has been a dream come true and I will forever hold those memories and that number close to me. I wore #13 at a point in my career because of Johnny and now I will be wearing it again to honor him. He paved the way for smaller players and proved we had a future in this game at the highest level. I will forever be grateful to him for inspiring me and others.
Rest in Peace, Johnny hockey.
Gaudreau, who wore No. 13 for eight seasons with the Calgary Flames and two with the Columbus Blue Jackets, died Thursday at age 31.
He was survived by his wife, Meredith, and their two children.
Caufield and Gaudreau played together on the United States men’s national ice hockey team during the 2024 IIHF World Championship in Czechia.
The two were also each Hobey Baker Award winners as the best players in college hockey, with Gaudreau claiming the trophy with Boston College in 2014 before Caufield earned the honor in 2021 with Wisconsin.
Gaudreau was also connected to Caufield through his role in promoting undersized forwards as a draft target for teams.
Listed at 5’6″ and 137 pounds heading into the 2011 NHL draft, Gaudreau did not expect to hear his name called by any NHL team (h/t The Athletic’s Hailey Salvian) before he was selected in the fourth round by the Calgary Flames.
Gaudreau went from being a fringe draft pick to a full-time NHL player and 20-goal scorer during the 2014-15 season. That was the beginning of a career that would lead Gaudreau to record 40 goals and 115 points for the Flames in 2021-22.
Five years after Gaudreau had established himself in the NHL, Caufield, listed at 5’7″, entered the 2019 draft and was selected at No. 15 by the Canadiens.
After having No. 22 assigned to him as a rookie, Caufield will now honor Gaudreau’s legacy during his fifth NHL season.
Caufield’s jersey change is not the only way members of the NHL community are paying tribute to Gaudreau. The Flames and Blue Jackets are both hosting candlelight vigils on Wednesday evening in honor of Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew Gaudreau.
