Cole Caufield scored his 50th goal of the season against the Tampa Bay Lightning. At the postgame press conference, Caufield reflected on the milestone by remembering his late friend, Johnny Gaudreau.
With a 2–1 win, the Montreal Canadiens moved past the Lightning into second place in the Atlantic Division. Caufield opened the scoring, making it 1–0 midway through the second period.
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Cole Caufield’s 50th goal
The crowd at the Bell Centre gave Caufield a standing ovation as he became only the seventh player in Canadiens history to record a 50-goal season. The players who achieved this feat before him are Maurice Richard, Bernie Geoffrion, Guy Lafleur, Steve Shutt, Pierre Larouche, and Stephane Richer. Prior to this game, Richer was the last Canadien to score 50 goals, during the 1989–1990 season.
In addition to celebrating his historic achievement and the team’s victory, Caufield reflected on his late friend, Johnny Gaudreau. As a boy, Caufield looked up to Gaudreau, and the two eventually became good friends during the 2024 World Championships.
Honored Johnny Gaudreau
Following Gaudreau’s tragic passing, Caufield changed his jersey number from 22 to Gaudreau’s 13 in his honor. At the postgame press conference, Caufield expressed his gratitude toward Gaudreau:
“It’s a reminder every time I put on my jersey and my helmet. It’s weird to think about, but every time you get to do that, it’s an opportunity to represent him and remember him. It’s a special thing. He’s behind me, he’s looking down on us. Everybody he knew, he made a better person. I obviously can’t give him a hug right now, but I wish I could,” Caufield told reporters.
You can watch the press conference below.
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