USHL’s Dubuque Fighting Saints to retire Johnny Gaudreau’s number on Saturday
Gaudreau led the Fighting Saints to a Clark Cup title in his lone season with the team in 2010-11.
The Dubuque Fighting Saints have never retired a former player’s jersey. That changes Saturday, as the United States Hockey League team will honor South Jersey legend Johnny Gaudreau by retiring his No. 8 jersey ahead of Saturday’s game against Sioux City. Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew were struck and killed by an alleged drunk driver in Oldmans Township while biking in August.
Before Gaudreau, who starred for the Calgary Flames and Columbus Blue Jackets, accumulated notable NHL achievements — such as becoming a seven-time NHL All-Star — he earned the USHL’s Rookie of the Year award in 2010-11. Gaudreau played one season with Dubuque when he was 17 years old — leading the team with 72 points and helping the Fighting Saints capture a Clark Cup title.
» READ MORE: Opinion: Johnny and Matty Gaudreau were more than hockey. They were inspirations to their South Jersey community.
He continued to show love to his roots, becoming a minority owner of the team in 2018 while still an active NHL player. Now, it’s the Fighting Saints’ turn to show love to Gaudreau.
“While Johnny only played one season with us, it was a memorable and magical season and he was instrumental in the Fighting Saints winning the Clark Cup in our first year back to Dubuque,” said managing partner Brad Kwong in a press release. “His number 8 hanging in the rafters will be an inspiration to every young hockey player who plays in this arena and particularly to those players who suit up for the Fighting Saints. His enthusiastic spirit and love for the game will forever be present.”
In addition to hanging Gaudreau’s No. 8 in the rafters, USHL commissioner Glenn Hefferan will announce the Gaudreau Award. The award will be given to a player that embodies four qualities of both Johnny and Matthew: Excellence in hockey, the spirit of the game, and care and responsibility. Matthew Gaudreau also played in the USHL — with the Omaha Lancers — before embarking on a pro career that included stops in the ECHL, American Hockey League, and Sweden.
The Fighting Saints will also be donating proceeds from the team’s 50-50 raffle from Saturday to the John and Matthew Gaudreau Foundation. This donation will help fund an adaptive playground for children with disabilities at schools in South Jersey.
Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau’s father Guy, mother Jane, sisters Katie and Kristen, and Johnny’s widow Meredith will all be in attendance Saturday at ImOn Arena in Dubuque, Iowa. Saturday’s ceremony is the latest in a long series of tributes to the Gaudreau brothers, which will aim to preserve the legacies of Johnny and Matthew.
Earlier this week, Sean Higgins, the man charged in the deaths of Johnny and Matthew, pled not guilty to all charges. The 43-year-old was indicted last month on two counts of second-degree reckless vehicular homicide, two counts of first-degree aggravated manslaughter, one count of leaving the scene of a fatal accident, and one count of tampering with physical evidence in the August crash. He remains in custody pending trial.