The Columbus Blue Jackets ‘ home opener for the 2024-25 season will take on a different tone this year as the team continues to mourn the recent death of star forward Johnny Gaudreau .
The Blue Jackets are set to face the Florida Panthers , the defending Stanley Cup champions , at 7 p.m. ET Tuesday at Nationwide Arena. Usually, the Blue Jackets’ first regular season home game would be preceded by a party and a player “blue carpet” walk, but the team rescheduled those events for the Oct. 17 game.
Instead, the team will show a pre-game video and host a ceremony remembering the lives of Johnny Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew, at 7 p.m. at the home opener. Puck drop is set for 7:13 p.m., a nod to Johnny Gaudreau’s jersey number 13.
Johnny Gaudreau, 31, and his brother Matthew Gaudreau, 29, were killed Aug. 29 when a suspected drunk driver struck them while the brothers were biking in Oldmans Township, New Jersey.
Fans attending the home opener will be able to visit a “special concourse tribute” that includes items placed at the arena to remember the brothers, and all attendees will receive a “13” patch like the ones the Blue Jackets will be wearing all season, according to a Blue Jackets press release .