Norris secures pole for Italian GP as McLaren lock out front row at Monza
Lando Norris surged into pole position in qualifying for Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix as he tries to cut further into Max Verstappen’s championship lead.
Today was supposed to be the type of day Johnny Gaudreau cherished above all.
Slated to stand proudly beside his brother Matthew as groomsmen at their sister’s wedding, Gaudreau would have spent the whole day grinning while surrounded by those that mattered most — his family.
Instead, in the cruelest of twisted fates, his family mourns his passing.
Killed Thursday night while cycling on a rural two-lane road near their home in Salem, N.J., Gaudreau and his 29-year-old brother were the victims of a suspected drunk driver.
Sean Higgins, 43, was jailed overnight, awaiting toxicology reports, and charged with two counts of death by auto, reckless driving, improper passing, as well as having an open container in his vehicle and consuming alcohol while driving.
Police allege Higgins was trying to pass two vehicles on the left when the second vehicle in front of Higgins moved to the middle of the two lanes so it could safely avoid the Gaudreaus. Higgins then allegedly tried to pass on the right side and struck the cyclists from behind, killing them both.
The arresting officer, according to the official police report, said Higgins told him he had five or six beers before the incident.
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Left to pick up the pieces are his close-knit family, devastated friends and a hockey world in shock.
Even though this isn’t about hockey, there haven’t been many sadder days in Flames history than this.
Johnny Hockey meant that much to a franchise and a city that embraced him as its own for more than a decade.
When he left the organization for Columbus two summers ago, even the most heartbroken of fans understood he moved east to be closer to family.
“Our hearts are broken by this devastating loss,” the Flames said in a statement Friday.
“Johnny was, and always will be, a member of the Flames family and loved by all of Calgary.”
Gaudreau felt that love, and cherished it.
Upon his initial return to Calgary as a Blue Jacket, he admitted being hurt by the boos punctuating his first touch of the puck.
But he also understood the passion involved, and wanted it known just how much he’d forever appreciate the city’s embrace for over a decade.
“Just the non-stop support I’ve had since my first day, even in college, they were big fans of me,” he said that emotional night.
“I just want to thank them all for being great fans and welcoming me into their city. They treated me very well and my family very well.”
So comfortable and loved in town, his father Guy showed up with his hockey gear several times, joining a few local shinny skates while visiting his son.
The dad who taught his son how to skate by enticing the youngster with beloved Skittles spread across the rink he ran, loved watching his son perform, just like the rest of the city did.
As one of the smallest and most electrifying talents of his generation, Gaudreau made good on an opportunity from the Flames to go from being a fourth-round, 160-pound underdog to NHL superstar.
In Calgary, he went from kid to man.
One of the best passers of this era, Gaudreau immediately gave hope to a rebuilding organization by building chemistry with Sean Monahan to form one of the league’s most productive duos.
The two became besties, which had plenty to do with why Monahan signed as a free agent with Columbus this summer.
Also a man of impeccable integrity, you can bet Monahan will play a huge role in helping Gaudreau’s wife, Meredith, and two small children, Noa and Johnny, cope with this unspeakable tragedy.
A soft-spoken, gentle soul who deftly navigated through a world of giants, Gaudreau never turned down an autograph seeker, media request or opportunity to get involved in the community.
A class act.
“Completely gutted,” wrote former teammate Blake Coleman, offering one of the many heartfelt tributes on Twitter.
“The world just lost one of the best. RIP Johnny.”
The Hobey Baker winner and seven-time All-Star was the fifth-highest-scoring Flame of all time.
His overtime winner in Game 7 against Dallas in 2022 was the most memorable Flames moment in almost two decades, and would be one of the final stamps the Boston College star would put on his time in Calgary.
It could be decades before the Flames ever find a player as electrifying as Gaudreau, whose flash and dash had fans on the edge of their seats as he crossed the opposition’s blue line.
The humble 31-year-old is now being mourned by a hockey community struggling to come to grips with yet another reminder of how senseless an accident like this is.
Hug your kids, be thankful for those in your life, and say a prayer for his family today.
Johnny always did.
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