Hockey writer Frank Seravalli is taking heat for what some have termed a “disgusting” comment about Columbus Blue Jackets star Johnny Gaudreau, who, along with his brother, was killed by a suspected drunk driver in August.
Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew, were both killed on August 29 while riding bikes when a driver ran them down in New Jersey. Johnny was 31, and Matthew was only 29.
Now, weeks after the player’s shocking and untimely death, Seravalli is in the cross hairs for invoking the elder Gaudreau in a recent story on the Blue Jackets posted to Daily Faceoff.
“With a little help from Gaudreau, the Columbus Blue Jackets will win the 2025 Draft Lottery. It’s the only consolation prize on a brutal year,” Seravalli wrote in summation of the team’s season, according to the Daily Mail.
Fans were not pleased to see the line in Seravalli’s article, with one fan calling it “disgusting” and another calling for Seravalli to “step away” from writing about hockey.
While it is unclear what Seravalli was trying to say with the original line, the story was later edited twice. Once to read, “with a little help from above,” and a second time to read, “with a little help from Gaudreau in heaven.”
The article now has an editor’s note, “Item No. 14 on this list, a prediction about the Columbus Blue Jackets winning the draft lottery, has been amended to remove a comment about the late Johnny Gaudreau looking down on the team from heaven. The intent was to honor Gaudreau and not offend. The wording was chosen poorly. Daily Faceoff regrets the error and apologizes to anyone hurt by the comment.”
Seravalli also posted an apology to his readers.
“What I wrote and how my poor choice of words was received was not intended to create any hurt or anger,” Seravalli posted on X. “Especially as a member of the Philly hockey community, I’ve been absolutely gutted by John and Matty’s passing – like so many around the hockey world.
“This tragedy is a difficult topic we’re all grappling with, and what I wrote was never intended to add to that.
“Simply put, I should not have tied the two together. I am sorry, and I promise to be better.”
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