After Johnny Manziel’s historic redshirt freshmen season at Texas A&M turned him into “Johnny Football,” another Johnny is now trying to capitalize on his name.
Calgary Flames left wing Johnny Gaudreau is in the process of patenting and trademarking “Johnny Hockey” in Canada and the United States, according to TSN’s Rick Westhead.
Gaudreau, 21, won the Hobey Baker Award as the United States best college hockey player last year at Boston College, and currently has 13 goals and 19 assists so far this season for the Flames.
He was named the NHL’s rookie of the month for the month of December after he scored eight goals and compiled 13 points.
Lewis Gross, Gaudeau’s agent, told TSN that Gaudeau wants his name put on apparel and sports equipment.
“We were concerned that people were going to abuse the ‘Johnny Hockey’ name, coming out with ‘Johnny Hockey’ shirts and stuff and we wanted to make sure that did not occur,” Gross said. “We felt that Johnny was going to be a special player and if he takes off the way we felt he could, he has the potential to have endorsement opportunities that could be very valuable.”
Gaudreau’s applications are currently pending in both Canada and the United States.