The last two years haven't been too kind to Johnny Gaudreau, once a fierce rival of the Oilers in his time with the Calgary Flames. Since inexplicably signing in Columbus, Gaudreau's status has taken a hit. Now in the IIHF World Championship, he took a literal massive hit.
Gaudreau was cutting into the slot when he was lined up by Slovakian defenceman Patrik Koch, who stepped directly into his chest to deliver a clean hit. Gaudreau got full air time, and hit the ice pretty hard.
Gaudreau was forced to leave the game after the hit, but thankfully was able to return to the game later on. Still, Team Slovakia was able to pull off an incredible upset against the US, beating them by a score of 5-4 in overtime.
This hit feels like the first time Gaudreau has made headlines in quite a while, and for good reason. Back in 2022 with the Calgary Flames, Gaudreau was on a playoff-bound team with 115 points and a +64 rating. After the bizarre signing in Columbus, a quiet market nowhere near the playoffs, Gaudreau's game has fallen off a cliff. This year, he only recorded 12 goals and 60 points in 81 games, and had a horrid -27 rating. For his 7 year contract worth $9.75M annually, that's just atrocious production from Gaudreau.
When he was with the Calgary Flames, Johnny Hockey was one of the more electric players in the entire league, and looked like a bona-fide superstar. After chasing a bunch of money to play meaningless hockey in Columbus, he won't be remembered for his time in Calgary - he'll be remembered for bowing out quietly.
