Canadiens' Cole Caufield to Wear No. 13 In Honor of the Late Johnny Gaudreau

Cole Caufield announced he's changing to No. 13 in honor of Gaudreau, who died last week after being struck by a drunk driver.

Caufield skates across the ice during a game against the Calgary Flames at Scotiabank Saddledome. / Sergei Belski-Imagn Images

Montreal Canadiens forward Cole Caufield announced Tuesday that he'll be changing uniform numbers ahead of the 2024-25 NHL season.

Caufield, who has worn No. 22 for the Habs throughout his career, took to Instagram to share that he'll be wearing the No. 13 going forward as a tribute to Johnny Gaudreau.

Gaudreau and his brother Matthew were killed on August 29 after being struck by a drunk driver while riding bicycles in New Jersey. They were due to serve as groomsmen at their sister's wedding the following day.

Johnny, fittingly nicknamed Johnny Hockey, wore No. 13 throughout his esteemed career in the NHL, during which he spent time with the Calgary Flames and Columbus Blue Jackets.

Caufield penned a powerful message in the caption of his Instagram post, in which he offered his condolences to Gaudreau's family.

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"The last few years playing as No. 22 have been some of the best years of my life. It truly has been a dream come true and I will forever hold those memories and that number close to me. I wore No. 13 at a point in my career because of Johnny and now I will be wearing it again to honor him. He paved the way for smaller players and proved we had a future in this game at the highest level. I will forever be grateful to him for inspiring me and others," wrote Caufield in part of his message.

Gaudreau, similarly to Caufield, was a smaller player who relied more on his skills than his strength to impact the game. The pair played alongside each other for Team USA at the 2024 IIHF World Championship in May.