In the N.H.L. the Sudden Loss of Johnny Gaudreau Is an Echo of the Past

In the hours after the Columbus Blue Jackets announced that star forward Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew had been killed, team president and general manager Don Waddell said he received 500 or so text messages.

One hit him even harder than the rest. It was from Graham and LuAnn Snyder.

On Sept. 29, 2003, the Snyders’ son, Dan, was critically injured when a car driven by Atlanta Thrashers teammate Dany Heatley was involved in a single-vehicle crash. Snyder died six days later.

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More than 20 years later, the family is still in touch with Waddell, who was the Thrashers’ GM at the time. The message they sent on Aug. 30, the

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