Team USA hockey champions pay touching tribute to Gaudreau brothers and bring late NHL star’s kids onto ice

Moments after winning gold in a nail-biting match against Canada, Team USA paid tribute to the late hockey star Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew.

The Gaudreau brothers were killed in August 2024 after being hit by a car while riding bicycles on eve of their sister’s wedding. NHL all-star Johnny, 31, and Matthew, 29, were pronounced dead at the scene.

Known as “Johnny Hockey,” he played 11 seasons in the NHL. At the time of his death, he was about to start his third season with the Columbus Blue Jackets after playing his first nine seasons with the Calgary Flames. Johnny was expected to be a strong contender for Team USA at these Olympic games. Matthew Gaudreau played in the minor hockey leagues including for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.

The Gaudreau family was in attendance for the men’s hockey final, which saw Team USA beat Canada 2-1 in sudden death after finishing regulation play tied 1-1. The brothers were honored in the locker room at the Milano Santagiulia arena, where Johnny’s number 13 was displayed on a Team USA jersey, and Matthew’s number 21 on a wall for Team USA players to remember their fallen teammates.

After winning gold, members of Team USA — including Auston Matthews, Zach Werenski and Matthew Tkachuk — brought Gaudreau’s jersey onto the ice. Two of Johnny’s young children, Noa and Johnny Jr., were then taken onto the ice to hold up their dad’s jersey for the Team USA group photo, in a touching moment honoring his legacy and contribution to the game.

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An emotional Meredith Gaudreau — Johnny’s widow who announced she was pregnant with their third child, a boy named Carter Michael, at the brothers’ memorial service in September 2024 — looked on. The brothers’ parents, Guy and Jane Gaudreau, were also in attendance.

Speaking Friday to ESPN, Guy Gaudreau said USA Hockey had let the family know that Johnny was projected to be on the roster for this year’s games.

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“He wanted to be on this team,” Guy told ESPN. “And it would've been nice if he'd been here.”

The Gaudreau parents were hesitant to accept USA Hockey’s invitation to Milan, they said.

“Our two daughters, for 24 hours, they just kept at us: ‘You have to go. The boys would want you to do this. This would mean so much to John,’” Jane told ESPN.

“It just means so much to our family, and we're so excited to remember what our boys meant to hockey.”