It was just the kind of night Matthew and Johnny would have loved.

Think about it: a top-ice matchup between the No. 2 Eagles and No. 5 Maine. A thrilling third-period comeback gave Boston College a thrilling 3-2 victory.From the trackside student sections to the sold-out rafters, a lively atmosphere and a crowd of loved ones all around to complete the party.

I wish they could be there.

But instead of being part of a night of revelry, Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau were the cause of a night of remembrance, along with another former BC All-American, Tony Voce. Voce, 43, died suddenly in July. The Gaudreaus were killed on August 29 by a driver suspected of being drunk. As a result, the school with a long history in hockey, a sport long respected for the closeness it creates among teammates, was left devastated. They arrived Friday night and were ready to honor both families with a pregame video. ceremonial disc dropWe are ready to remind the world that even in times of great loss, the Boston College family will hold you close.

“I appreciate it very much,” Jim Gaudreau said as he stood by the door to the bustling suite. As his brother Guy, sister-in-law Jane, and nieces Kristen and Katie continue to grapple with unimaginable loss, Jim managed to muster some strength for an interview, speaking on behalf of a family that will never be the same again. Same.

“One of my feelings from the very beginning was that we saw the love, kindness and support that people showed us through their actions and words,” she said. “It means a lot for BC to do the same, to understand that they know we are going through something and to constantly remember us. Children were not forgotten or left behind.”

And that’s what tonight is about. When a family loses something this big, the pain can swallow up everything, even the ability to say their name. But saying their names is the way to keep their spirits alive; This is how we preserve their legacy as sons, fathers, brothers and uncles.

And as friends.

Among the crowd Friday was Michael Sit, Johnny Gaudreau’s freshman roommate and eventual teammate of Matthew Gaudreau. In the immediate aftermath of the brothers’ death, the news that they were all together at the family’s New Jersey home the next day for Katie’s wedding was so heartbreakingly described that it wasn’t the only wedding Johnny had planned. He was to serve as best man at Sit’s wedding the following week.

“The whole group is very close, and we families have become close to each other as well,” said Michael’s mother, Michele, as she boarded a flight from Minnesota to be with Guy and Jane.

“It’s weird being here without them,” he said.

But it is very important for them to be here. No matter how distraught the parents are, no matter how hard it is to get out of bed, such events serve a greater purpose. BC will auction off special warm-up jerseys worn by players on Friday, bearing the numbers 13 or 21 and the names Voce and Gaudreau on the back, to charity causes of the families’ choice.

“To watch two people that you love so deeply, that you care so deeply about, as well as your two nephews that you care so deeply about, have to go through their struggles, and we are all like aunts, uncles, cousins, family. The members are a little further apart and we’re all struggling on our own, right, but for Guy, Jane, Kristen, Katie, Madeline and Meredith (the sisters’ wives), the struggle is even deeper,” Jim said.

“And it’s hard for us to witness that. Because you know, this is not such an ordinary event, right? And as normal people, we’re not equipped to tell them how to deal with this, we don’t have that. So we just listen and do the best we can. Yes, and being there at events like this.

On occasions like this, BC coach Greg Brown can talk about how Johnny’s amazing skills come to mind every day, especially when a player does something particularly creative. It’s events like this that make Bruins coach Jim Montgomery come to town to not only see his old college team, Maine, but also remember the 17-year-old he coached in the junior ranks in Dubuque, Iowa. A person who has a very special talent.

“I would stop scrimmages one more time to watch Johnny and see if he would do anything new,” Montgomery said.

This was also a chance for the coach to visit the Gaudreaus, whom Johnny had been friends with since their teenage days. “It’s important for them to know, and I told Guy and Jane you’re not alone,” Montgomery said. “Pick up the phone. We are all suffering with you and we all love you.”

This is the hockey family. “This is going to be a very long road,” said Jim Gaudreau, “I can say that our lives have been changed forever. “I hope and pray that with the support of everyone around us, with the support of each other in the family, with peace and family community, we can find peace and find goodness and happiness along the way.”

Tara Sullivan is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at [email protected]. follow him @Globe_Scan.