Blue Jackets Goalie Unveils Gaudreau Tribute Mask While Entire League Prepares To Wear Decals

The NHL is going to get underway next week, but a lot of players are going to be playing with heavy hearts following the offseason death of Columbus Blue Jackets star Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew.

The brothers were struck and killed by a drunk driver in late August while riding bikes in New Jersey on the night before their sisters' wedding.

The Columbus Blue Jackets announced their plans to honor the Gaudreaus as an organization, and now we've got a look at how Blue Jackets netminder Elvis Merzlikins is offering his own special tribute to Gaudreau.

Merzilikins recently showed off the new lid, which features Gaudreau's No. 13 on the chin.

However, some eagle-eyed observers picked up on a more personal touch that was added to the mask.

That's an awesome personal touch to add. It's great to see a goalie use his helmet to pay tribute to a teammate like that.

However, skaters aren't able to do anything like that with their helmets, however, the NHL recently announced plans for players to honor both Gaudreaus with special helmet decals that will be worn by players league-wide, beginning with the NHL Global Series games between the Buffalo Sabres and the New Jersey Devils which will take place in Prague on Oct. 4 and 5.

NHL players will wear these decals on their helmets from the start of the nHL Global Series until October 24, the night of the final home-opener.  (Photo by Ben Jackson/NHLI via Getty Images)

"I think it’s an incredible tribute to an incredibly sad situation," Buffalo head coach Lindy Ruff said of the decals, per NHL.com. "We as a league, we as a team, have to try to honor these guys for what they did for the game."

After the Sabres and Devils debut the decals — which feature a "G" with the numbers 13 and 21 on either side, representing both Gaudreau brothers' jersey numbers — the rest of the league will follow suit starting on Oct. 8.

The decals will remain in use until Oct. 24, the night that Los Angeles Kings host the San Jose Sharks for the final home-opener of the season.