Danforth unlikely hero for Blue Jackets in Stadium Series win

COLUMBUS -- For a Columbus Blue Jackets player, being called a donkey was the ultimate compliment to receive from the late Johnny Gaudreau.

That's why, after Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew, were tragically killed when they were struck by an alleged drunk driver while riding bicycles in Salem County, New Jersey, on Aug. 29, the Blue Jackets decided to retire a Civil War-type kepi and award the player of the game with a donkey hat this season.

So, in the aftermath of the Blue Jackets' 5-3 victory against the Detroit Red Wings in the 2025 Navy Federal Credit Union Stadium Series at Ohio Stadium on Saturday, it was Justin Danforth who was the grateful recipient after scoring the go-ahead goal at 17:43 of the third period.

“Johnny is here with us in spirit, and you know, he's been with us all year,” Danforth said. “So, to get the donkey on a night like tonight, I know he's laughing up there and calling me a donkey, because he liked to joke around with me a lot.”

Columbus (30-22-8) has now won four straight games since the break for the 4 Nations Face-Off, including a 5-2 victory at Detroit (30-24-6) on Thursday. The Blue Jackets currently own the first wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference, two points ahead of the Red Wings.

“We know how big these games are,” Danforth said. “I know it's an outdoor game, but our mindset coming into it was two points. We're right there with them in the standings.”

Still, the Blue Jackets’ first outdoor game was a celebration of the Gaudreau brothers and their family, with Johnny’s No. 13 a prominent sight among the second-largest crowd in NHL history (94,751).

“He's such a big part of our group, and it was special for us to win for him and his family,” Danforth said.

Maybe it was fitting that Danforth (5-foot-8, 188 pounds) was the one who got the Blue Jackets back on track after blowing a two-goal lead in the third period.

But whereas Gaudreau (5-9, 163) was all about skill, Danforth is more of a grinder, an attribute which led forward Mathieu Olivier to describe him as "a little pit bull out there."

“He's such a huge part of our group and obviously our line. He centers it," Olivier added. "He's kind of the backbone of it, and he doesn't get as much credit as he should, but he's a real important piece to our team, and I couldn't be happier for him to get that moment, especially on this big of a stage.”

On Danforth's goal, which gave Columbus a 4-3 lead, he split between defensemen Albert Johansson and Simon Edvinsson while entering the offensive zone. Danforth’s stick caught Edvinsson in the face, but he continued with the play and scored on his own rebound near the right post.

The officials would huddle following the goal but the call stood.

“I was hoping that they made the right call, and I haven't seen it, but I felt like it was just a battle and that's what happened,” Danforth said.

Said Blue Jackets coach Dean Evason: “It could go either way, obviously. I'm sure if we're on the other end we’ll be speaking to it.”

It hasn't been an easy journey for Danforth, who didn’t make his NHL debut until Nov. 15, 2021, when he was 28 years old. He then missed the final 76 games of the 2022-23 season because of a shoulder injury.

This season, Danforth has played in just 39 games, missing 18 from Dec. 12-Jan. 18 because of a lower-body injury. But on Saturday night, he was the unlikely hero on a subfreezing night (27 degrees Fahrenheit) in Columbus.

“Just an amazing experience. Not just for me, but for my family, too,” Danforth said. “It takes my entire family, friends, to get me to this point and playing in the NHL, playing in the Stadium Series. So, just to get to share it with the team and my family, it's super special.”