Sean Monahan dedicated this season to Johnny Gaudreau, following the tragic death of his best friend last offseason.
On Thursday, Monahan, the Columbus Blue Jackets forward, was announced as the recipient of the Masterton Trophy, voted for perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.
Monahan was presented the trophy at his home outside of Toronto when he was surprised with a visit from Johnny’s widow, Meredith Gaudreau.
“This is so important to me because Sean is so important to John, and John is so important to Sean,” she said. “You don’t hear John’s name without thinking of Sean and you don’t hear Sean’s name without thinking of John. They’re best friends, they’re brothers.
“When I was asked to be part of this surprise, I was so honored, so excited. Sean stood by my side for every tribute, every walkout and I dragged him out there with me to cry on national television so many times, but I’m excited about this one because this one celebrates Sean.”
Meredith Gaudreau flew to Toronto and took a car to Monahan’s house with the Masterton Trophy strapped in the seatbelt next to her. She said she was grateful for Sean’s support and friendship before and since Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew, died Aug. 29, 2024, when they were struck by an alleged drunk driver who was charged with two counts of death by auto, while riding bicycles near their home in Salem County, New Jersey. Johnny was 31 years old. Matthew was 29.
“I let (Monahan’s wife) Brittany in on this secret a few days ago,” Meredith said. “I think she tricked Sean into thinking they were taking family photos today. All the little things he does behind the scenes and everything he means to the Blue Jackets, to the NHL, to my family.
“I’m nervous, I’m excited, I just want to make sure he knows today is a good day. We are here to celebrate how amazing of a person you are.”
Monahan, 30, signed with Columbus on July 1, 2024, in order to play with his best friend Gaudreau, the two having previously played together for nine seasons with the Calgary Flames from 2013-22. After Gaudreau’s death, Monahan served as an inspiration for the Blue Jackets, even showcasing vulnerability.
“John knows I don’t like the spotlight or attention, so I feel like he’s probably watching down on that moment and laughing at me,” Monahan said. “Having Meredith come down, having three kids at home to surprise me is something that I’ll be thankful for forever. Was a lot of emotions right away and very special for her to come and make the effort to come present that to me.”
Monahan played in 54 games this season and had 57 points (19 goals, 38 assists), tied for third on Columbus in scoring. It was the fifth-most points by a Blue Jackets player in his first season with the team and he helped Columbus to a 40-33-9 record and 89 points, two points out of the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference. Columbus had 13 more wins and 23 more points than last season, when they had the worst record in the East and finished 25 points out of a playoff spot.
“Winning that Bill Masterton Trophy means a lot to me,” Monahan said. “It’s a real big honor. It’s a lot of special names on that Trophy and the meaning behind it is something I take great pride in in day-to-day life being on a team, being a father, a husband. It’s a special thing and obviously fresh right now, but something I’m definitely going to be reflecting on a lot.”
A $2,500 grant from the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association was awarded to the Bill Masterton Scholarship Fund in Monahan’s name.
The local chapters of the Professional Hockey Writers Association submitted nominations for the Masterton Trophy at the conclusion of the regular season and the top three vote-getters were designated as finalists. Minnesota Wild goalie Marc-Andre Fleury and Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog were the other finalists.
The trophy is named for the former Minnesota North Stars forward who died on Jan. 15, 1968, as the result of an on-ice injury.
“Sean, you mean everything to John so it’s just really special that I could be a part of this because this one is about you,” Meredith said. “You persevered through one of the hardest things and you just lead by example and this one’s just celebrating your character and how good of a person you are. I know John is so proud of you.
“John loved surprises, he loved kind of pranking people a little bit, so I thought this suited that really well. He’s so proud of Sean, I know he would have loved the way this happened and you know, he’s Sean’s biggest fan.”
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