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The U.S. men’s hockey team honored the late Johnny Gaudreau throughout the Winter Olympics while en route to an overtime gold medal against Canada.
Several team members wore Gaudreau’s jersey on the ice in Milan to honor the NHL star who was killed in New Jersey in 2024 by a suspected drunk driver. They also brought two of his children to the rink to take photos with the team.
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U.S. players celebrate with a team photo while holding Johnny Gaudreau’s jersey after beating Canada in the men’s ice hockey gold medal game during the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics at the Milan Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on February 22, 2026. (Geoff Burke/Imagn Images)
Players also chanted Gaudreau’s nickname “Johnny Hockey” at the Miami nightclub where they rejoiced Monday night. These are moments no player on Team USA will forget and it meant a lot to Gaudreau’s widow, Meredith, who watched them unfold.
“It meant everything to me,” she said Wednesday during an appearance on “Fox & Friends.” “I’m just really grateful to these guys for being really good friends, really good teammates. Just including our kids and honoring John the way they do, that’s all I can ask for right now. I think John would be very flattered, very humbled. It’s just really heartwarming that they show him so much respect and continue to do these things. It’s very touching.”
Johnny Gaudreau would have made the U.S. men’s team, according to head coach Mike Sullivan.
American Matthew Tkachuk (19) carries Noa Gaudreau, following a men’s ice hockey gold medal game between Canada and the United States at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, February 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
Meredith Gaudreau said he would “thank them” for the way the team honored him.
“I think he’s very proud of them,” she said. “Bringing his jersey to every step, having him be a part of it all. He really, really wanted to be a part of it. I think he would be very, very grateful and very proud of those guys.”
She added that the outpouring of love and support, especially from those who have never met her or her family, has been truly special.
Auston Matthews (34) of the United States, Zach Werenski (8) of the United States and Matthew Tkachuk (19) of the United States hold up John Gaudreau’s jersey after defeating Canada in the men’s ice hockey gold medal game during the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at the Milan Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on February 22, 2026. (Amber Searls/Imagn Images)
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“Thank you for all your support,” she said. “All the messages. All the messages that people make. I really read a lot of them, almost all of them. John’s impact impresses me more and more every day. This is proof of that. There is no bigger stage than this Olympic stage. To see around the world that he has been recognized and that we have global support, that’s what I feel right now. It certainly helps us in our difficult days.”
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