"I was lucky enough to be Johnny's teammate this past summer, and it didn't take long to realize how great of a person he was," Gaudreau wrote in an Instagram post on Sept. 3. "He was the most welcoming, genuine and funniest guy I have ever met. He was someone everyone gravitated towards, and I took every chance I could to be around him. Not only was he an amazing hockey player and teammate, but he was down to earth and truly cared about every person he encountered."