Purple Gatorade and Skittles: Calgary fans leave mementos in tribute to Johnny Gaudreau

A memorial for former Calgary Flame Johnny Gaudreau steadily grew over the long weekend.

Fans have been leaving flowers, balloons and jerseys on the steps of the Scotiabank Saddledome.

They have also been leaving bottles of purple Gatorade, which was the drink of choice of Gaudreau and his former linemates, Sean Monahan and Elias Lindholm, when they played together for the Flames.

Fans have also been placing packages of Skittles -- which Gaudreau's dad used to spread across the ice as an incentive -- when he was teaching a young Johnny to skate.

Fans are sharing emotional memories, as they remember Gaudreau's impact on and off the ice.

"I've been seeing all the photos online of the memorial here, and I I felt it's something that, as a fan, I need to come pay my respects," said Flames fan Nathan Samuelson.

"I really liked his style of play, all the rivalry that he helped inspire between the two cities of Calgary and Edmonton, and all the love that he really brought to the city of Calgary,' said Flames fan Austin Niedermaier. "You can really feel it out here today."

Flames fan Jacob McGregor also felt compelled to show his respects on the Saddledome steps.

"When this many people show up to say goodbye to you, I don't think your legacy is purely as an athlete," he said. "To have somebody create a reaction like this, they were part of the heart of this community."

Gaudreau and his brother Matthew were riding bicycles in New Jersey Thursday night, when they were hit and killed by a suspected drunk driver.

They were in New Jersey to attend their sister's wedding, which has been postponed.