MILAN — Johnny Gaudreau was working arduous to make the US crew heading to the 2026 Winter Olympics. He and brother Matthew watched the occasion rising up, at all times with eyes on enjoying in it.
“It was their dream,” Jane Gaudreau mentioned of her sons.
Johnny and Matthew died on Aug. 29, 2024, after they have been struck by an SUV whereas using bicycles close to their hometown in New Jersey on the eve of their sister Katie’s marriage ceremony. Their deaths shocked the hockey neighborhood, and so they have been honored since by retired numbers, a memorial 5K and extra.
An elite participant a decade into his NHL profession and the all-time US main scorer in worldwide play, Johnny Gaudreau was on observe to be in Milan for the match that wraps up Sunday when the Americans play rival Canada for the gold medal. Guy Gaudreau mentioned USA Hockey was gracious sufficient to inform the household their oldest son was on the projected roster.
“He wanted to be on this team,” Guy Gaudreau mentioned throughout the third interval of the US semifinal win Friday night time. “And it would’ve been nice if he’d been here.”
The US is honoring the Gaudreau brothers with a tribute to them of their locker room at the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena. A blue No. 13 Gaudreau jersey hangs there as a reminder of the participant often called “Johnny Hockey,” who was beloved by so many on the nationwide crew and past.
“It means everything – we all know he should be here with us,” he mentioned Dylan Larkinwho performed with Gaudreau at a number of world championships. “He should be with us. We love him, and I like that we continue to think about him and I wouldn’t imagine it any other way.”
Jane and Guy Gaudreau, together with Johnny’s widow, Meredith, and their two oldest kids arrived in Milan on Friday. The Gaudreau dad and mom had been planning a visit to Las Vegas and initially hesitated after USA Hockey invited them to attend.
“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 mentioned. “It just means so much to our family, and we’re so excited to remember what our boys meant to hockey.”
The Gaudreau household connections to gamers on the roster run deep, from Boston College to the NHL. In addition to the world championships, Johnny performed with Noah Hanifin on the Calgary Flames and Zach Werenski on the Columbus Blue Jackets.
“Johnny was close to a lot of guys in that room,” Hanifin mentioned. “We know he’d be here with us, so we’ve been thinking about him and carrying him with us.”
Werenski mentioned after he and his teammates superior to the ultimate that Meredith reached out to his spouse a number of days earlier to allow them to know they have been coming.
“It’s great having them here, and it’s super special,” Werenski mentioned. “We’re happy that we made it to the gold-medal game so they can watch that and be a part of it. It’s on us to make them proud.”
Not that it could have been a lot of a debate, however coach Mike Sullivan confirmed what administration instructed the Gaudreaus: Johnny would have been on the crew if he have been nonetheless alive, primarily based on his physique of labor and the way effectively he has performed in a US uniform.
“He was one of America’s very best,” Sullivan mentioned. “He’s just a good person on the ice and off the ice, and I think he’s an inspiration to our players this very day.”
Players nonetheless speak about Gaudreau, and “all the stories are funny,” in accordance to Charlie McAvoywho performed alongside him at worlds.
“Just an amazing person, just an infectious personality,” McAvoy mentioned. “The detail, really, with our staff and our equipment staff especially to make sure that he’s always with us, little reminders of him in the room, and they just go a long way. You always see them. They’re just gentle. They’re right there. But we know that he’s always with us.”
Along with Johnny’s No. 13 jersey is that quantity on the wall alongside Matthew’s No. 21. It’s comparable to what USA Hockey did a 12 months in the past at the 4 Nations Face-Off, when Guy Gaudreau took half in observe as a visitor coach.
This would have been Johnny Gaudreau’s first probability to play at the Olympics after the NHL didn’t take part in 2018 and 2022. But it virtually actually will not be the final time his jersey hangs within the US locker room at the sport, a convention that would proceed for years to come.
“I hope so,” Larkin mentioned. “I sure hope so.”
