New York Islanders' Alexander Romanov, left, chases Montreal Canadiens' Cole Caufield, right, during the third period of an NHL hockey game, on April 11 in Elmont, N.Y.Seth Wenig/The Associated Press
American-born forward Cole Caufield, shaken by last week’s tragic death of his hockey hero Johnny Gaudreau, will be switching jersey numbers this season with the Montreal Canadiens.
The 23-year-old Caufield will wear No. 13 instead of No. 22 to honour his former teammate and friend, who was killed last Thursday night in Oldmans Township, N.J., while cycling with his brother Matthew, when they were struck from behind by a driver.
Sean Higgins, 43, was charged with two counts of vehicular homicide in the deaths of the two brothers.
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Caufield and Johnny Gaudreau played together for Team USA at the IIHF World Hockey Championship this past May.
“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,” Caufield wrote on his Instagram account.
“He was the most welcoming, genuine, and funniest guy I have ever met. He was someone everyone gravitated toward 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 honour 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.””