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The U.S. men’s hockey team honored the late Johnny Gaudreau during the Winter Olympics en route to an overtime gold medal victory against Canada.
Several team members wore Gaudreau’s jersey around the ice in Milan to honor the NHL star who was killed in New Jersey in 2024 by an alleged drunken driver. They also brought two of his children into the rink to take pictures with the team.
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U.S. players celebrate with a team photo while holding Johnny Gaudreau’s jersey after defeating Canada in the men’s ice hockey gold medal during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at 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 partied Monday night. Those are moments that no player on the American team will forget, and it meant a lot to Gaudreau’s widow, Meredith, who watched it unfold.
“It meant the world to me,” she said in an appearance on “Fox & Friends” Wednesday. “I’m really so thankful for these guys for being really good friends, really good teammates. Just to include our kids and honor John like they do, that’s all I can ask for right now. I think John would be very flattered, very humbled. It’s just really, 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 US men’s team, according to head coach Mike Sullivan.
USA’s Matthew Tkachuk (19) carries Noa Gaudreau after a men’s ice hockey gold medal game between Canada and the United States at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 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 every step of the way, making him a part of this. He really, really wanted to be a part of this. I think he would be very, very grateful and very proud of these 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 during the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics at the Milan Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena, Feb. 22, 2012. (Amber Searls/Imagn Images)
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“Thank you for all the support,” she said. “All the messages. All the posts 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 a testament to that. There is no bigger stage than this Olympic stage. To see the world that he was recognized and we have worldwide support is how it feels right now. It definitely helps on our hard days.”
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