In what was a beautiful tribute, after Cole Caufield scored the first goal for the Montreal Canadiens this season, he made a gesture in honor of Johnny Gaudreau.

During the Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Montreal Canadiens season opener on Wednesday night, Montreal forward Cole Caufield started off the game with the first and only goal of the game, as Montreal came away with the 1-0 victory, backed by a strong game from Sam Montembeault.

Cole Caufield’s Beautiful Tribute to Johnny Gaudreau

But it was what Caufield did after scoring that is causing such headlines, and for a very uplifting reason:

After connecting, Caufield hyped up the crowd before looking up the heavens in honor of fallen friend Johnny Gaudreau. It was just another way for Caufield to pay homage to the fallen player, as he also changed his jersey number to #13 for Gaudreau. It sent the Bell Centre into a frenzy, and it had to feel special for Caufield knowing he not only helped his team win, but he did it wearing Gaudreau’s number.

Though they didn’t get to play together much, Gaudreau and Caufield got to share the ice in the IIHF World Championships, and for Caufield; who admired Gaudreau growing up due to his stature and dedication to the game, it was a dream come true.

 
«Getting to play with your hero is something that most people only dream of,» Caufield wrote on Instagram. «I was lucky enough to be Johnny’s teammate this past summer (at the 2024 IIHF World Championship) and it didn’t take long to realize how great of a person he was. He was the most welcoming, genuine, and funniest guy I have ever met.

«He was someone everyone gravitated towards and I took every chance I could to be around him. Not only was he an amazing hockey player and teammate, but was down to earth and truly cared about every person he encountered.»
 

What a beautiful and heartfelt gesture from Caufield, knowing Gaudreau would be proud of him.