Hockey writer Frank Seravalli apologized after implying the death of Johnny Gaudreau would benefit the Columbus Blue Jackets in next year’s NHL Draft.

“Today, in an annual season predictions column, I picked the Columbus Blue Jackets to win the draft lottery and included a comment about how Johnny Gaudreau is looking down on them from heaven to bring them luck,” Seravalli shared Monday , October 7th, via X with. “ What I wrote and how my poor choice of words was received should not cause hurt or anger. Especially as a member of the Philly hockey community, like so many others in the hockey world, I am absolutely devastated by the deaths of John and Matty.”

Gaudreau, who signed a seven-year contract with the Blue Jackets in 2022, and his younger brother, Matthew Gaudreauwere struck and killed by a suspected drunk driver while riding a bicycle in Oldmans Township, New Jersey, on August 29th.

In Seravalli’s first story, published back on Monday, he wrote: “With a little help from Gaudreau, the Columbus Blue Jackets will win the 2025 draft lottery.” After receiving immediate criticism for the comment, Seravalli amended it to read: “With a little help from Gaudreau in heaven,” before cutting the line entirely.

The draft lottery determines the order of the draft, with the team with the worst record having the best chance of going first. Essentially, Seravelli faced backlash for seemingly drawing a line between Gaudreau’s death and Columbus’ expected on-ice performance this season.

“This tragedy is a difficult issue that we all grapple with, and what I wrote was never intended to contribute to it,” Seravalli continued in his apology. “Simply put, I shouldn’t have connected the two. I’m sorry and I promise it will get better.”

Seravalli received a lot of backlash on social media even after he tried to clarify the error.

“Your apology sounds just as callous and insensitive as the article,” one person commented above

Another wrote: “I just continued editing before it finally became clear that there was no need to connect the two at all.”

Amid the turmoil, some of Seravalli’s supporters called for a little mercy.

“I read it the same way everyone did, but then thought no one would say something like that,” one person wrote. Seravalli is simply saying that CBJ is not a great team and that Johnny Gaudreau is their guardian angel/hockey god looking down on them.”

The Columbus Blue Jackets open the 2024-25 NHL regular season on Thursday, October 10th against the Minnesota Wild.