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Montreal Canadiens forward Cole Caufield debuted a new bespoke suit paying tribute to his late friend and fellow hockey player Johnny Gaudreau. The suit is designed by GLORIUS Custom.
The lining of the jacket features an illustration of Gaudreau wearing his #13 jersey with angel wings on the back. It also shows Caufield kneeling on one knee and holding his stick towards Gaudreau.
Gaudreau's wife Meredith shared her enthusiastic reaction to Caufield's touching tribute, writing on her Instagram story:
"Daaang Eloc. Ur the best @colecaufield."
Caufield and Gaudreau became close friends and teammates while playing together for Team USA at the 2024 IIHF World Hockey Championship in Czechia.
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Unfortunately, Gaudreau and his brother Matthew lost their lives in August when the two brothers were hit by a car while cycling in Salem County, New Jersey. Following Gaudreau's death, Caufield changed his Canadiens jersey number from 22 to 13 to honor his late friend's memory.
Caufield wore the Gaudreau tribute suit while heading into Nationwide Arena before a game against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Cole Caulfield reflects on Johnny Gaudreau
Cole Caulfield shared fond memories of Johnny Gaudreau in a heartfelt Instagram post. Caulfield said that it was a dream come true to play alongside his hero at the 2024 IIHF World Championship.
“Getting to play with your hero is something that most people only dream of. I was lucky enough to be Johnny’s teammate this past summer, and it didn’t take long to realize how great of a person he was," Caulfield said in September.
Caulfield pointed out that he took every opportunity to be around Gaudreau and also highlighted that he was not only an amazing hockey player and teammate but also a down-to-earth person.
“I wore #13 at a point in my career because of Johnny and now I will be wearing it again to honor him. He paved the way for smaller players and proved we had a future in this game at the highest level. I will forever be grateful to him for inspiring me and others,” he added.
Caulfield expressed immense gratitude to Johnny Gaudreau for paving the way for smaller players like himself and proving that they could make it in the NHL.
