BOSTON — Boston College will honor former hockey players Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau and Tony Voce with uniform patches, a sign on the boards in front of the team's bench and other tributes this season.
All three died this summer. The Gaudreau brothers were hit by a car while riding their bikes in New Jersey the day before their sister's wedding. Voce, a member of the Eagles team that won the 2001 national championship, died suddenly at the age of 43; no cause of death has been revealed.
The school said there will be a moment of silence before Friday's home opener against American International College, as well as a video tribute. The Eagles will wear a patch with the words “TV”, “JG” and “MG”, and the initials will also be on the signs at the Conte Forum.
During warmups before Hockey East's first game against Maine on Nov. 8, all members of the BC team will wear Voce or one of the Gaudreaus jerseys. The school's trophy case has also been reconfigured to honor the players.
Winner of the 2014 Hobey Baker Award for best college hockey player, “Johnny Hockey” was a member of BC's 2012 NCAA team and played 11 years in the NHL for Calgary and Columbus. His younger brother, Matthew, was a two-time Beanpot champion and led the Eagles in scoring as a senior.
Voce was a first-team All-American and Hobey Baker Award finalist in 2004.
The tributes to BC are the latest in an outpouring of grief from the hockey community.
