“I think it’s just about remembering who (Johnny Gaudreau) was and honouring every day that you have living,” Hab says about number change.
It was only the first scrimmage at Canadiens training camp, but it was special for Cole Caufield because he was wearing No. 13 Thursday at the CN Sports Complex in Brossard.
Shortly after Gaudreau’s death, Caufield asked Jeff Gorton — the Canadiens’ executive vice-president of hockey operations — and general manager Kent Hughes if he could switch numbers to honour Gaudreau.
“They kind of took care of it from there,” Caufield said after Thursday’s scrimmage, while wearing a red Canadiens hoodie with No. 13 on the right shoulder. “Didn’t want it to be a hassle or anything, but glad it all worked out.
“A lot of emotions,” Caufield added about putting on the No. 13 sweater. “There’s not one word to describe it. … I think it’s just about remembering who (Gaudreau) was and honouring every day that you have living.”
Caufield is 5-foot-8 and 175 pounds, which is one reason he admired Gaudreau so much. But it was more than just that.
“He’s similar stature, but everything he did was worked for, earned,” Caufield said. “That’s kind of the way I like to carry myself — just working for what you get. He was a very skilled hockey player and someone I respect a lot. Just trying to add a little bit of myself to his game and remember him well.”
Caufield and Gaudreau were teammates in May with Team USA at the IIHF world championship in Czechia. That made Gaudreau’s death hit even harder.
“What people don’t get to see is the human side of everything,” Caufield said. “I think we’re all human and he’s just a guy who was happy all the time and everybody kind of gravitated towards him and I think that’s what was most special. It’s something that I want to be one day and maybe be remembered as. He was obviously a special person … he was a special hockey player, but him and his family and his loved ones were very special and still are. Going forward, just honour him every day.”
Caufield is coming off a season in which he posted 28-37-65 totals with eight of those goals coming in the last nine games. Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis often talks about how there’s a difference between someone who plays hockey and a hockey player. St. Louis believes Caufield became a hockey player last season.
“You look at a guy like Cole, he’s always been very talented and a goal scorer,” St. Louis said Wednesday. “Last season he had a lot of critics because he wasn’t scoring a lot of goals, but learned to be a more complete player, more engaged physically, winning puck battles.”
Caufield said that’s something he talked about a lot last season with St. Louis.
“Hopefully this year we can kind of mesh those two together and find ways to score more and still play the defensive side of the game and play all over the ice,” Caufield said. “Happy with where I’m going and not satisfied with where I’m at.”
Caufield grew up in Wisconsin as a Colorado fan and the first sweater he got was an Avalanche one with Paul Stastny’s name and No. 26 on the back.
“That was my team growing up and now it’s Habs only,” Caufield said with a smile.
Now it’s hard for Caufield to go anywhere in Montreal without seeing kids wearing a Canadiens sweater with his name on the back and there will certainly be a demand for his new No. 13 sweater. He hopes kids wearing his new No. 13 will also remember Gaudreau.
“It’s pretty cool,” he said about seeing kids wear his jersey. “It’s something that you kind of never think of growing up. It’s kind of just a dream, but you think about it, it’s pretty cool. I love this city and I love this team and playing for it, it’s truly an honour. To have the passion of the fans of the city, it’s the best place to play and it’s something I never want to leave.”