‘Johnny From Avalon’: Remembering the Down-to-Earth Hockey Star and Shell Pitching Champion
Editor’s note: It’s kind of amazing how this story came about. Katy Boettinger is the director of hockey administration for the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights. Like many of us, Boettinger is a person who spent more than her share of summers on the Seven Mile Beach as a child. Suffice it to say that she still has some sand in her shoes. And even though she was in the midst of a busy NHL season and more than 2,500 miles from Avalon, while watching the Columbus Blue Jackets’ Stadium Series game on television, the Avalon sweatshirts caught her eye. And we’re thankful that she reached out to the Seven Mile Times to make sure that we too, saw the homage paid to Johnny Gaudreau and Avalon. From there Al Morganti demonstrated once again why he is a Hockey Hall of Fame writer.
Johnny Gaudreau (left) accepts championship plaque from Avalon Historical Society president Bob Penrose (right) on the 30th Street beach in Avalon in July 2022 at the Historical Society’s annual clamshell pitch championships.
Search the internet and you will find a variety of photos of Johnny Gaudreau in various uniforms, scoring goals and celebrating for teams ranging from Gloucester Catholic, to Boston College, the Calgary Flames, and the Columbus Blue Jackets.
But to really appreciate the sort of person who was so tragically lost along with his brother Matthew last summer, you really should take a look at a couple of photos where there are no uniforms.
And if you are a resident of Avalon, or just anybody who even visits the Jersey Shore for even a day at the beach, the one that should really stand out is a postcard moment in time from the summer of 2022 after “Johnny from Avalon” was a winner in the annual shell pitching championship.
For anybody who has experienced summers in Avalon, the picture is a “Hang it in the Louvre” tribute to what it means to be part of a community.
Mind you, the picture was taken shortly after Gaudreau had just signed a monstrous free-agent deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets. The seven-year deal was for close to $70 million, so you might think that would bring a summer of sipping summer drinks from the decks of a million-dollar yacht.
Instead, you have Johnny from Avalon posing in a photo on the beach in a classic shore photo, complete with a local college hat, another hat with a beach tag, and two women with their backs to the proceeding, simply standing at the water line.
Yep, just the way Johnny Gaudreau would have liked it: No fanfare, no fancy staff, no big hoopla – just a day at the beach in a family-friendly atmosphere.
The other photo that tells such a big story is far different. Instead of the warm weather and sunshine of Avalon, this picture is from a frozen day in Columbus, Ohio.
The Blue Jackets were playing the Detroit Red Wings in the NHL’s annual Stadium Series game. A blustery day in Ohio, and instead of a few people at the beach in Avalon there were more than 94,000 fans packed into the legendary Ohio State horseshoe football stadium.
The Blue Jackets – and in fact the entire NHL – have made it a priority to pay tribute to Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau, who were tragically killed last August when they were run down by a motorist in South Jersey while riding bikes on the eve of their sister’s wedding.
From coast to coast, across the United States and Canada, the NHL has paused to make certain their memory would not fade.
It has been a pretty neat tradition for the teams competing in the Stadium Series games to wear some sort of special outfit. For example, the Flyers entered the stadium in clothing that resembled characters from the “Rocky” movies, the Carolina Hurricanes wore golf attire, and there has generally been a lot of flashy stuff.
If you want to know how much Johnny Gaudreau and the Gaudreau family meant to the hockey world, consider that the opposing players from the Detroit Red Wings wore various jerseys from former teams Johnny played for from Boston College to Team USA jerseys.
And how did the Blue Jackets arrive for the rally? How about the “signature Johnny fit.”
So, what would that be? How about UGGs, black sweats, a simple black hat, along with an Avalon Surf Shop hoodie. It was a tribute to Johnny Gaudreau’s habit of wearing comfortable everyday clothing with ties to local businesses around Philly and the shore.
Whether it was an Eagles hoodie, Phillies stuff or Avalon clothing, he made sure to always keep his feet grounded in the local area where he could connect with family and friends.
Remember, this was an athlete who had reached the pinnacle of his profession. He was an athlete who had earned one of the most impressive nicknames ever bestowed on any hockey player, professional or otherwise, while he was at Boston College: “Johnny Hockey.”
This was a time when another athlete was named Johnny Football out of the big program in Texas, but it was Johnny Hockey who lived up to the nickname and the expectations with legendary seasons in Calgary and then the tragically short time in Columbus.
Even with the short time in Columbus, he had so endeared himself and his family to the whole community that in February of this season, the crowd at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus sang “Happy Birthday to You” to Johnny Gaudreau Jr., while his 1-year-old clapped in unison.
Virtually every celebration has included his entire family, from his father Guy, who has coached almost every talented young hockey player to come through South Jersey, to his wife Meredith, and his brother Matthew’s family.
No doubt, the entire story is something that brings tears, and it is a pain that will endure forever – especially to the family.
Then again, it is reminder of how special time is spent with family and being part of a community. You can still reach great heights, and keep your feet in places like the sands of Avalon, or have your skates still wet from the ice from rinks around South Jersey.
You can strive to have your name on the Stanley Cup but still get a smile out of winning some silly clam shell tourney on the beach at Avalon – and the people close to you will be able to look back at a photo like that and know the person underneath the team uniform.
For many years, the beaches of Avalon and the entire shore have been a grounding sport for professional athletes, especially hockey players.
And everybody knows that a family place like Avalon will always remember Johnny Hockey as Johnny from Avalon – and the family will always, always be welcome.
This summer, take the time to take the picture.