NHL breaks rule so Cole Caufield can pay tribute to Gaudreau.

The National Hockey League will be breaking its own rules, but I doubt very much that we will be hearing any objections about this particular decision to bend on the part of the league.

A report from French-language reporter Andre Tourigny of RDS has revealed that the NHL has made an exception when it comes to the Montreal Canadiens' Cole Caufield for this upcoming season. Caufield has made the decision to change his number, which was previously #22, and will instead be wearing #13 moving forward in honor of Johnny Gaudreau.

The deadline for a player to make a jersey change had already come and passed but, given the extreme circumstances in this particular case, the league has chosen to make an exception and allow Caufield to make the number change despite the deadline.

Caufield took to social media to explain the decision to change his number, indicating that he had idolized Johnny Gaudreau growing up and wanted to pay tribute to the man that inspired him to be what he is today.

From Cole Caufield:

We all lost an amazing person, both on and off the ice, in last week's tragedy. My deepest condolences go to the entire Gaudreau family, especially Johnny's wife and two kids, who I had the pleasure of meeting. Nothing will be able to fill the void in their families and loved ones hearts, but I hope it provides some comfort to know how these two positively impacted the lives of so many.
They will truly be missed.

Getting to play with your hero is something that most people only dream of. 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. 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.

The last few years playing as #22 have been some of the best years of my life. It truly has been a dream come true and I will forever hold those memories and that number close to me. I wore #13 at a point in my career because of Johnny and now I will be wearing it again to honor him. He paved the way for smaller players and proved we had a future in this game at the highest level. I will forever be grateful to him for inspiring me and others.

Rest in Peace, Johnny hockey.