The entire Columbus Blue Jackets organization was rocked last summer when star forward Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew Gaudreau were struck and killed by an alleged drunk driver while riding their bicycles near their hometown in New Jersey.
Throughout the 2024-25 season, many tributes to the Gaudreaus, both on-ice and off-ice, took place, but one special one likely went under the radar due to its location. In a video provided by MeiGray, a well-known authenticator of game-used sports equipment, they revealed that the Blue Jackets wore a special “set tag” inside their jerseys last season in honor of the brothers.
The tag, placed in the jerseys by equipment manager Jamie Healy, includes a photo of the two brothers embracing after Boston College won the Beanpot in 2014.
“Carrying your memory forward forever,” the inscription reads.
According to MeiGray, set tags are usually found on the hem of jerseys and are either patched or screen-printed. The tags are placed in the sweaters to show the year a player wore it and indicate which set the jersey comes from, helping authenticators and collectors know they have the real thing.
Healy has long been known to put easter eggs and special set tags in Blue Jackets jerseys, speaking with The Athletic’s Alison Lukan about the process back in December of 2018. The idea was initially inspired by Healy seeing how an unidentified band he saw put together custom backstage passes for their shows.
“The backstage passes that they used there were completely unique,” Healy told Lukan. “They had a movie scene on it or something just outrageous that had nothing to do with the band. No other band that I’ve seen had backstage passes like that. So, it’s something I’ve wanted to do since.”
Other past Blue Jackets set tags have included photos of the Columbus skyline, the team’s locker room, and the city’s Union Station Arch.
MeiGray’s revelation of the jersey tribute comes just a day after Meredith and Madeline Gaudreau, the brothers’ wives, announced on what would’ve been Johnny’s 32nd birthday, the launch of the John and Matthew Gaudreau Foundation. The two appeared on ABC’s “Good Morning America” to reveal the news.
Per the John and Matthew Gaudreau Foundation’s website, the foundation is committed to “helping youth hockey initiatives, supporting hockey families that have faced tragedy, and helping other families that have been affected by drunk driving.” Meredith and Madeline are co-presidents, and the foundation’s colors, black and green, were chosen to represent Johnny and Matthew’s favorite colors.
