Between the United States Hockey League, the NCAA and the National Hockey League, the late, great Johnny Gaudreau played nearly 1,000 meaningful high-level hockey games. When you include his times representing USA Hockey internationally, he’s well over 1,000 games.

While Gaudreau played a lot of very good hockey, we attempted to distill his on-ice contributions down to a manageable sample of his greatest hits. Here’s what we landed on in regards to the greatest moments of Gaudreau’s hockey career.

The 2011-12 season was Gaudreau’s freshman year at Boston College, and he adjusted quickly to the college game and became an integral part of the Eagles’ offensive attack. He was simply superb in the later stages of their season, starring in several games in the Hockey East conference playoffs en route to being named that tournament’s most valuable player.

In the NCAA national championship tournament, Boston College went undefeated, beating Ferris State by a 4-1 score in the final to capture the national crown. Gaudreau scored two goals in the national playoffs: his second one, scored late in the game with the Eagles clinging to a one-goal lead, is known in Boston College fan circles as “the goal.”

Gaudreau played three full seasons in the NCAA, winning basically everything a college player can win – and playing his junior season alongside younger brother Matt, who was an incoming freshman. Gaudreau’s quest for a second national title ended in a razor-thin semi-final loss to Union College, the eventual tournament winners. Gaudreau was named that season’s Hobey Baker Award winner, then signed his entry-level deal with the Flames and flew to Vancouver (with special assistant to the GM Craig Conroy and Eagles teammate Bill Arnold, who also signed) to make his NHL debut.

The Flames ended a disappointing 2013-14 season with a 5-1 loss to Vancouver… but Gaudreau deflected the only Flames’ goal into the Canucks’ net.

A few months into his rookie season, Gaudreau had established himself as a good offensive forward and a useful weapon in the club’s arsenal. But the team wasn’t quite clicking like it wanted to, with the Flames mired in an eight-game losing skid as they headed to Los Angeles for their final game before the holiday break.

By early in the second period, the Flames were trailing 3-0 and looked to be en route to their ninth straight L. But Gaudreau found another gear to his game and scored a hat trick to force overtime. (Mark Giordano scored in extra time to snap the losing skid and give the Flames some momentum heading into the back half of their calendar.)

The Flames got a tear in the back half of the 2014-15, earning the nickname “the find-a-way Flames” from Sportsnet 960 commentator Derek Wills. That “find-a-way” energy continued into the playoffs, where they battled past the Vancouver Canucks to advance into the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 2004.

Then they ran into the Anaheim Ducks, and they couldn’t quite find a way anymore. But while the Flames lost to the Ducks in five games, their single win was due to a scrappy comeback and a dramatic overtime win. Gaudreau scored in the dying seconds of the third period of Game 3 to force OT.

Gaudreau had two spectacular offensive seasons with the Flames: 2018-19 and 2021-22. Those performances coincided with two of the best regular seasons the club has had in the past several decades, with Gaudreau a foundational piece of those successful seasons.

For a glimpse of Gaudreau at the height of his powers, we respectfully submit Mar. 12, 2019 at home against the New Jersey Devils, where Gaudreau had a hat trick (including a penalty shot goal) and three assists for a career-high six points.

For Boston College fans, Gaudreau’s insurance marker in the 2012 national championship game was “the goal” that defined his career. For Flames fans, it’s the overtime winner – the series winner – from Game 7 of the 2022 first round series against the Dallas Stars.

For the better part of seven games, the Flames had outplayed Dallas. For the better part of seven games, the Flames just couldn’t find a way to beat Jake Oettinger. But Gaudreau, as he often did, found another level. Post-game, Gaudreau referred to it as the biggest goal of his career.