Watch: Calgary news anchor takes playful jab at Gaudreau signing

CBC Calgary news anchor Andrew Brown conveyed how many Calgary Flames fans have likely been feeling since Johnny Gaudreau spurned the only NHL team he'd ever played for in favor of the Columbus Blue Jackets on Wednesday.

Brown snuck a not-so-subtle reference to Gaudreau's decision into his sign-off Thursday night.

Later that evening, Brown tagged Columbus' NBC affiliate in a reply to the video.

On the following night, news anchors from another Columbus-based station chimed in to shoot their shot, throwing in a zinger or two of their own.

Brown then mulled it over and asked his Twitter followers for advice.

Minutes later, Brown was on the air with the Columbusites, joining them for an amusing interview.

Brown's Gaudreau-inspired sign-off isn't the first time he's ended a show with a memorable line.

On the night Connor McDavid eliminated the Flames from the playoffs with an overtime winner, the Canadian anchor finished his broadcast by saying, "Thanks for watching, and remember: You can accomplish anything you set your mind to, unless Connor McDavid also wants that thing."

Then, when the Colorado Avalanche swept McDavid and the Oilers out of the postseason in the next round, Brown quipped, "Look, I didn't say he wanted the Stanley Cup."

Gaudreau left the Flames after eight full seasons to sign a seven-year deal with the Blue Jackets carrying an average annual value of $9.75 million. Calgary reportedly offered the superstar winger an eight-year pact carrying an AAV of $10.5 million.