In the wake of the Gaudreau tragedy, the 5th Line must heal together
I’m not sure if there is a right thing to say about how we deal with the losses of the Gaudreau brothers. I keep thinking and praying for their family. I continue to hold my family tight each night; cherishing every moment that I have with them. Now is the time to grieve, to mourn, to lament. But eventually, we will need to move forward.
I continue to ponder ways to help us move forward from this tragedy. I don’t think there is a blueprint on how to do so. But I found some inspiration from another team that experienced heartbreak.
While hockey season is about a month away, football season is just getting started. Most Blue Jackets fans are Ohio State Buckeye fans. Being a Buckeye fan myself, I have been following the team and perused their upcoming schedule.
In a couple of weeks, Ohio State will take on Marshall University. That got me thinking of one of my favorite movies: We Are Marshall. It’s the true story of how 75 members of the Marshall University community (football players, coaches, administrators, boosters) lost their lives in a plane crash in 1970. The University, the city of Huntington (West Virginia), and numerous families were in extreme pain and agony over the loss.
The movie goes through the difficulties of the University to move forward from the tragedy and to continue playing football. There was even a debate about whether they should continue with the football program at all. The decision was split, but they ultimately decided to continue with football because that’s what the deceased would have wanted.
The Marshall University football program accrued more losses in the 1970’s than any other football program in the nation. However, the University and the fans continued to support the program because it meant so much to them. It was their way of honoring those fallen sons of Marshall.
The outcome of the games was not important. The love and support of each other was the ultimate outcome. After years of heartache, the program went on to win numerous conference titles, bowl victories, and national championships. The love that the community had for each other resulted in the football program going from tragedy to triumph.
How can the Blue Jackets and their fans move forward? We can learn three lessons from the Marshall football story.