As Johnny Gaudreau left the Calgary Flames this summer, many thought New York would be his new home, playing for the Islanders. They were rumored to be willing to give him a huge contract, but Gaudreau shocked the hockey world as he signed for Columbus Blue Jackets instead.
This weekend, Gaudreau played his first game against the Islanders since leaving the Flames, and he didn’t receive a very warm welcome. During Saturday night’s contest, he was met with boos every time he touched the puck. The fans just didn’t stop, but Gaudreau didn’t seem to care.
You can imagine the Islanders fans booing him if he actually was close to signing for them but turning them down for the Blue Jackets. The Islanders were perhaps the team most heavily linked to Gaudreau during the summer, but apparently, it wasn’t even close.
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When speaking to ESPN after the contest this weekend, Gaudreau said he was surprised by the hostility of the Islanders fans.
He also revealed he wasn’t even close to signing for them.
“I was talking to my coach after the third shift, and I was like, ‘I don’t get it,'” Gaudreau told ESPN. “I didn’t talk to [the Islanders] once throughout the whole free agency.”
Johnny Gaudreau had barely been linked to the Blue Jackets before signing with them. Everybody thought he would prefer a move to the East Coast, close to New Jersey, where he grew up. But instead, he chose the Blue Jackets and has started this season with 13 points in 15 games. He is not quite on pace to reach the 115 points he scored last season, but it’s not a terrible start.
