I've never seen a fan base react so positively to such a gesture. When William Nylander changed his number in Toronto, for example, he had to offer to pay for new jerseys for his fans.
Cole Caufield, who is very popular in Montreal, didn't have to offer anything. Yes, there were comments from holders of his number 22 who would like to be compensated, but generally, people understand and are proud to wear his old or new number.
The gesture was also appreciated by close friends and family of Johnny Gaudreau. Kevin Hayes and Johnny's wife, Meredith Gaudreau, notably commented on Cole's post about his number change, and we can spot a new nickname that wasn't previously known.
Cole Caufield is now called "eloc," which means Cole spelled backward. I'm not sure if this nickname originated from Meredith or Johnny Gaudreau himself, but I doubt it came from the Canadiens' organization.
In any case, it's nice to see that he has such a close relationship with Johnny Gaudreau's family. They'll be able to watch him play with his new number 13 and find a bit of Johnny Hockey in Cole Caufield.
POLL | ||
9 SEPTEMBRE | 167 ANSWERS New nickname for Cole Caufield, and it comes from Johnny Gaudreau's wife, Meredith Gaudreau Did you know about this nickname for Cole Caufield before Meredith Gaudreau wrote it on her Instagram account? | ||
Yes | 23 | 13.8 % |
No | 144 | 86.2 % |
List of polls |