Gone Far Too Soon

I don't have any Johnny Gaudreau stories that I can tell. Like the vast majority of hockey fans, I watched him dazzle from afar as he appeared on highlight reels on sports shows across the globe. The same goes for Matthew Gaudreau as I never crossed paths with him either. However, hearing the news that these two young, talented men had passed was shocking. Knwoing that these dedicated family men who had young children or were expecting a new addition are gone is gut-wrenching, and I cannot fathom what their families, both immediate and extended, are going through at this time.

The feelings of sadness and loss quickly changed once details started being released about what happened to Johnny and Matthew. It was revealed that they had been hit by an SUV who was driving erratically while riding bikes, and that the driver of the SUV may have been impaired. I can honestly say that I felt rage at hearing this news, and I fully hope and expect justice to be served in a meaningful way once the driver makes it to trial. He took and destroyed lives - that's more than enough for me to throw the proverbial book at him.

For anyone who gets behind a wheel while impaired, my hope is you're pulled over and arrested for your choice because there's a very good chance that the police will have saved a life by doing so. That life may be yours, but it seems that those who are impaired never suffer the same fate as the persons who are involved in an accident involving them. I'm not wishing harm on anyone, but driving impaired is a choice one makes so there should only be maximum punishments handed out for those poor choices.

"Teebz, that's a harsh stance," I hear some of you saying, but is it? How do you think the Gaudreau family feels right now? How do you think their extended family feels? I keep thinking about the grief and anger and suffering that Jordyn Reimer's family is still feeling, and this tragedy re-opens all those wounds once again. Say what you want about these senseless deaths, but I believe they should be classified as murders since the people who did the killing made a choice to get behind the wheel.

I'm not here to weigh morals, ethics, and human rights against the events that happened nor am I a lawyer to present this argument to see laws changed. I just find myself angry that lives have been lost to something as dumb as impaired driving, and the fallout is months and months of legal procedures while the grieving families try to put themselves back together in the wake of their losses.

My hope is that the Gaudreaus and their extended families will be able to find peace one day, but I don't expect that to come soon. Or maybe not at all based on the circumstances of this tragedy. For two men who gave 110% effort to their families, their teams, their friends, their communities, and their fans, this is a loss that doesn't sit well with me unless harsh punishment is given to the driver of the SUV. Even then, I'm not sure that will help to close the wounds these families have suffered with the losses of Johnny and Matthew.

The Gaudreaus, their extended family, their friends, and their teammates are in my thoughts today, and I wish for their anguish and loss to somwhow be resolved some day. I know it won't be soon, though, and I'm hopeful that the driver receives swift, brutal punishment for his poor choices. Both Johnny and Matthew are gone too soon, and there's only one person to blame for that reality.

Rest peacefully, Johnny and Matthew, as you were taken far too soon from us and long before your legacies could appreciated fully.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!