Latest news with #MeredithGaudreau
New York Times
5 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Busy NHL Draft day for Blue Jackets as trade talks fizzle before Smith, Andreyanov picks
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Columbus Blue Jackets were hoping to use their two first-round draft picks on Friday to acquire immediate roster help: impactful veteran players who could help push the organization forward after five straight years out of the playoffs. But general manager Don Waddell expressed no regrets or disappointment after one trade fell through and several others fizzled out before gaining any traction. Advertisement 'I would have said (there's disappointment in that) maybe before the draft,' Waddell said. 'But after we've gone through these selections and ended up with these players, we're pretty happy.' The Blue Jackets, who added veteran forwards Charlie Coyle and Miles Wood earlier in the day, selected defenseman Jackson Smith with the No. 14 overall pick and — in a surprise to many — goaltender Pyotr Andreyanov with the No. 20 overall pick. The picks were made by Meredith Gaudreau, the widow of former Blue Jackets forward Johnny Gaudreau, who was greeted with a standing ovation by the crowd at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. 'It's truly an honor to be here,' she told the crowd, as chants of 'John-ny! John-ny!' rang out. 'And from the bottom of my heart, I thank you.' An extra special moment, as Meredith Gaudreau announces our first pick, 14th overall, in the 2025 #NHLDraft 💙♥️ — Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) June 28, 2025 The Blue Jackets were delighted that Smith was still on the board. They had him ranked among the top 10 players on the board, including among the top two or three defensemen. Smith, who turned 18 last month, is 6-foot-4, 200 pounds. But his skating belies his size. He's played the last two seasons with the Tri-City Americans in the Western Hockey League — totaling 11-43-54 in 68 games this past season — but has already committed to Penn State in the fall. 'We actually tried to move up to a spot (to draft Smith) and that didn't work,' Waddell said. 'We had a lot of calls to move around, especially on the 14th pick. But I really believe if there's a player you really want, don't pass them up. Take 'em. 'We really like the way he transports the puck. His skating … some of our scouts who've watched him all the time rated his skating at a 10 (out of 10), and that happens very rarely.' Advertisement The Blue Jackets went way off the board to select Andreyanov with the No. 20 pick. Andreyanov, who was the No. 1 goaltender ranked by the NHL's Central Scouting service, was seen by most as a late second- or early third-round selection. Last week, Waddell and two goaltending coaches — Brad Thiessen and Jim Viers — traveled to Florida for a special camp for Russian players arranged by agent Dan Milstein. They met with Andreyov and spoke to several of his fellow Russian players about him and came away impressed. Goaltending coach Nicklas Backstrom put it like this: 'He reminds of a young Bob.' That would be former Blue Jackets goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, of course, now a two-time Stanley Cup winner with the Florida Panthers. Andreyanov, who is 6-2, 207 pounds, played last season with the CSKA Red Army minor-league club, going 23-6-6 with a .942 save percentage. Waddell said he probably won't be clear of contractual obligations in Russia until he's 22 or 23 years old. 'The hope is that the development path he's on leads right to the NHL,' Waddell said. Pyotr Andreyanov learns that he is the 20th overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft at the Gold Star Hockey Draft Party. #WeAreGoldStar! — Dan Milstein (@HockeyAgent1) June 28, 2025 It'll likely be two or three years before Smith makes an NHL impact. Andreyanov is probably four or five seasons away. If they turn out to be difference-making pros, this will be seen as an impressive draft for the Blue Jackets at two key positions. But about the 2025-26 roster … Earlier Friday, the Blue Jackets traded minor-league forward Gavin Brindley, a third-round pick in this year's draft (No. 77 overall) and a conditional second-round pick in 2027 to the Colorado Avalanche for Coyle and Wood. The Blue Jackets, who own two second-round picks in that draft, can decide which one they want to keep. Advertisement Coyle, 33, is the right-shot center the Blue Jackets were seeking this summer, a counterbalance to the three left-handed centers — Sean Monahan, Adam Fantilli and Cole Sillinger — already in the Columbus lineup. The Jackets will use Coyle frequently in the faceoff circle this coming season, and he teams with Monahan and Boone Jenner to give the club three exceptional players on draws. It's possible, maybe even likely, that Sillinger and Jenner will switch permanently to the wing. Wood was a perennial 10- to 15-goal scorer at the start of his career with the New Jersey Devils, but his game fell off sharply in Colorado. The Blue Jackets hope he gets back to being the ferocious forechecker he was in New Jersey, with a solid spot on the fourth line. 'Both big bodies,' Waddell said. 'Wood skates like the wind, is a forechecker, creates opportunities with his speed and finishing checks. Coyle plays a 200-foot game, is very responsible on both ends of the ice. We've been looking for a right-shot guy all summer, and when that opportunity came up, we had to jump.' It was one of the rare picks-for-players trade so far this offseason, Waddell noted. With the added salary cap space around the league, NHL teams are hanging onto more players and less willing to move out established players for the hope of draft picks, he said. That, and the fact that the NHL Draft was 'decentralized' this season as opposed to the usually central gathering of all 32 clubs, had an impact on trade talks, Waddell said. He and his scouts were set up in the Blue Jackets dressing room in Nationwide Arena while the league staged the annual sweater parade of prospects in Los Angeles. 'You can't walk around the (draft floor), tap people on the shoulder and talk to them,' Waddell lamented. 'When you're face-to-face, things always seem to happen better than when you're on the phone. There were lots of conversations, but not nearly as much as usually goes on when you're together.' Advertisement The Blue Jackets were deep in trade talks with the New York Islanders earlier in the day to acquire defenseman Noah Dobson, but the asking price — both first-round draft picks, a roster player and a prospect — was too rich for Waddell's blood. Dobson was traded to the Montreal Canadiens instead, signing an eight-year, $76 million contract with the Islanders just before the trade. 'It got to a point for us where it was not only the assets we had to give up, but also the price tag on the player,' Waddell said. 'We just made a decision. You look at our team and some of our guys who will be coming off contracts in the next few years. We did like the player, but there comes a point where you have to keep yourselves open to keep your team together.'
National Post
5 days ago
- Sport
- National Post
Emotional tribute to 'Johnny Hockey' as Meredith Gaudreau announces Blue Jackets' first draft pick
Article content LOS ANGELES — Meredith Gaudreau announced the Columbus Blue Jackets' first pick in the NHL draft Friday night, 10 months after her husband, John, was killed along with his brother while riding bicycles on the eve of their sister's wedding. Article content Fans at the Peacock Theater chanted 'Johnny! Johnny!' in honour of the late player nicknamed 'Johnny Hockey' and cheered Meredith as she spoke. Article content 'I just wanted to take this time to thank every single team and every single fan base for your support for my family this past season,' Gaudreau said. 'It's truly an honor to be here, and from the bottom of my heart, I thank you.' Article content
Al Arabiya
5 days ago
- Sport
- Al Arabiya
Emotional Tribute to 'Johnny Hockey' as Meredith Gaudreau Announces Blue Jackets' First Draft Pick
Meredith Gaudreau announced the Columbus Blue Jackets' first pick in the NHL draft Friday night, 10 months after her husband, John, was killed along with his brother while riding bicycles on the eve of their sister's wedding. Fans at the Peacock Theater chanted 'Johnny! Johnny!' in honor of the late player nicknamed 'Johnny Hockey' and cheered Meredith as she spoke. 'I just wanted to take this time to thank every single team and every single fan base for your support for my family this past season,' Gaudreau said. 'It's truly an honor to be here and from the bottom of my heart I thank you.' Gaudreau then said the Blue Jackets were taking Jackson Smith, who later called it a 'surreal experience.' Smith, on a video call with reporters, added he was grateful to be part of the poignant scene. 'It was incredible,' Smith said. 'Just to see the support in the stands, in the crowd, for the Gaudreau family–it was an incredible moment, so to be picked right after that felt even extra special for me.'
Washington Post
5 days ago
- Sport
- Washington Post
Emotional tribute to "Johnny Hockey" as Meredith Gaudreau announces Blue Jackets' first draft pick
LOS ANGELES — Meredith Gaudreau announced the Columbus Blue Jackets' first pick in the NHL draft Friday night, 10 months after her husband, John, was killed along with his brother while riding bicycles on the eve of their sister's wedding. Fans at the Peacock Theater chanted 'Johnny! Johnny!' in honor of the late player nicknamed 'Johnny Hockey' and cheered Meredith as she spoke.
Associated Press
5 days ago
- Sport
- Associated Press
Emotional tribute to "Johnny Hockey" as Meredith Gaudreau announces Blue Jackets' first draft pick
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Meredith Gaudreau announced the Columbus Blue Jackets' first pick in the NHL draft Friday night, 10 months after her husband, John, was killed along with his brother while riding bicycles on the eve of their sister's wedding. Fans at the Peacock Theater chanted 'Johnny! Johnny!' in honor of the late player nicknamed 'Johnny Hockey' and cheered Meredith as she spoke. 'I just wanted to take this time to thank every single team and every single fan base for your support for my family this past season,' Gaudreau said. 'It's truly an honor to be here, and from the bottom of my heart, I thank you.' Gaudreau then said the Blue Jackets were taking Jackson Smith, who later called it a surreal experience. 'My greatest honor is representing him,' Meredith said afterward. ___ AP NHL:
