Calgary Flames star Johnny Gaudreau repeatedly pumped his fists and smiled big after scoring a power play goal in the first period against the Florida Panthers on Sunday afternoon.
But his reaction was more than giving his team a 1-0 lead while it was a tight playoff race in the Western Conference.
Gaudreau revealed after the match that he scored the goal, the 150th of his career, for his late grandfather.
He discovered after Saturday afternoon’s 4-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning that his paternal grandfather, John Guy Gaudreau, had died earlier today.
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“It was a tough day, but it was nice to find the net there for him in the first one,” Gaudreau told reporters. “It sucks to lose people, but I was excited enough to get this one for him.”
The goal ended up being the match winner while Cam Talbot made 38 saves for a 3-0 victory. The victory propelled the Flames to third place in the Pacific Division.
“He has watched a lot of my games and has always been a big fan of me and my brother playing hockey,” said Gaudreau of his grandfather. “So it was a special time to find the net there and just emotional. It was really cool.”
