Gone but never forgotten.
Team USA paid heartfelt tribute to the late NHL star Johnny Gaudreau after its epic win against Canada in the men’s Winter Olympics hockey final on Sunday.
After New Jersey Devils star Jack Hughes scored the winning goal in overtime, players took a Gaudreau jersey and skated with it around the ice. They also brought Johnny and wife Meredith’s two young children out for a team photo; son Johnny turned 2 years old on Saturday.
Gaudreau likely would have been part of the Olympic team.
Johnny and his brother, hockey coach Matthew Gaudreau, were tragically killed in 2024 while riding bikes in their South Jersey hometown the day before their sister’s wedding.
Johnny and Matthew’s parents, Jane and Guy Gaudreau, were in the stands at the Olympic final and looked to have tears in their eyes at the honor.
Jane recently spoke to New Jersey Monthly about coping with the loss of her sons. “The harder you love, the harder you grieve,” she said. “But at the same time, I do feel we were lucky, because even though we didn’t have that quantity of time to be with them forever, the quality of time we had with them was so high.”
Team USA holds up a Gaudreau jersey to honor late NHL star Johnny Gaudreau after winning Olympic gold. Photo: NBC screenshot
After the win, NBC Sports analyst Brian Boucher said on air, “Johnny meant so much to a lot of these guys on this team. I live in the Philadelphia area, and I can tell you that Johnny Gaudreau is an absolute hero in the Philadelphia area in South Jersey. In particular, so many kids look up to Johnny Gaudreau and model their game after him.”
According to NBC’s Mike Tirico, Gaudreau’s “jersey hung in that locker room every game in this Olympics. All six wins for the U.S. and is proudly displayed like a flag.”
Team USA won its first gold medal for men’s hockey in 46 years on Sunday, beating Canada for a triumphant win and their first gold since 1980, the year they defeated the Soviet Union in the famed “Miracle on Ice” game.
In a touching moment after their win, Team USA skated with a Gaudreau jersey around the ice, honoring late NHL star Johnny Gaudreau, who likely would have been on the team.
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