Denver Broncos’ linebacker Alex Singleton honoured recently deceased NHL star Johnny Gaudreau on Sunday, wearing his number 13 Calgary Flames jersey ahead of warmups at Lumen Field in Seattle.
Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew, were killed by a suspected drunk driver on Aug. 29 in Oldmans Township, N.J., which is located only 15 miles north of his hometown of Salem. He was just 31 years old and is survived by his wife, Meredith, and two children.
Amazing. Love ya, @alexsingleton49 ❤️ https://t.co/NKCGagYL7e
— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) September 8, 2024
The five-foot-nine, 165-pound left winger was drafted with the No. 104 overall pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft by the Calgary Flames and played 602 career games with the team, scoring 210 goals and 609 points. He signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets as a free agent following the 2021-2022 season and played 161 games over two years with the club, recording 33 goals and 134 points.
Singleton and Gaudreau overlapped as sports stars in Calgary, as the duel citizen of Canada and the United States was a first-round pick of the Stampeders in the 2016 CFL Draft. The two-time CFL all-star made 304 tackles, four sacks, and one interception as a member of the Stampeders and was named the league’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player in 2017.
The six-foot-two, 240-pound defender has made 602 total tackles, 365 solo tackles, 21 tackles for loss, four sacks, 12 pass knockdowns, five fumble recoveries, and two forced fumbles over 76 games since departing Cowtown for the NFL, spending time with the Philadelphia Eagles and Broncos. He is going into the second year of a three-year, $18 million contract he signed with the Broncos ahead of last season and was recently named a team captain.
The 30-year-old set a new single-season tackles record for the Broncos last year, making 177 total tackles, 83 solo tackles, five tackles for loss, two sacks, and four pass knockdowns over 17 regular season games. He finished third in the NFL in total tackles and fourth in solo tackles.
The Stampeders held a 13-second moment of silence for Johnny Gaudreau before the Labour Day Classic last week, matching his jersey number. Several players arrived at McMahon Stadium wearing his jersey, just as Singleton did on Sunday.
The Broncos will open their 2024 regular season by visiting the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, Sept. 8 with kickoff slated for 4:05 p.m. EDT.
