Johnny Gaudreau Remembered: Team USA Brings His Children on Ice After Overtime Gold in Milan
Team USA honored the late johnny gaudreau after the United States beat Canada 2-1 in overtime to win the men's hockey gold medal at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics. The tribute included his children being brought onto the ice during the medal ceremony, a moment that underscored how Gaudreau's death helped motivate the U. S. squad's run to the title.
Gold-medal tribute and medal ceremony
The Americans secured the Olympic title with a 2-1 overtime victory over Canada on a Jack Hughes goal. Following the win, members of the U. S. roster held up Gaudreau's U. S. jersey while skating around the ice. The team had also hung Gaudreau's U. S. jersey in the locker room, and during the medal ceremony Team USA brought the late player's children onto the ice as part of the tribute.
Johnny Gaudreau: Career and legacy
Johnny Gaudreau spent 11 seasons in the NHL with the Calgary Flames and Columbus Blue Jackets from 2013 to 2024. He was selected by the Calgary Flames with a fourth-round pick in the 2011 NHL draft. Earlier descriptions note he spent his first nine seasons with the Flames and his final two NHL seasons with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Over 763 regular-season games, Gaudreau recorded 243 goals and 500 assists for 743 points. He was a seven-time All-Star and won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy once. Nicknamed "Johnny Hockey, " he represented Team USA at multiple stages, including the World Junior Championships and World Championships, winning World Junior gold in 2013 and taking bronze at the 2018 World Championships. When Team USA won gold at the World Championships the previous year for the first time since 1960, the squad celebrated by holding up Gaudreau's jersey; the Americans repeated that gesture at the Olympic final.
Family in Milan and the 2nd birthday in the stands
Gaudreau's wife Meredith, his children, and his parents, Jane and Guy Gaudreau, attended the Olympics in Milan. His son, Johnny Jr., was present for the Olympic final and was celebrating his second birthday. Meredith Gaudreau said it felt meaningful to be part of the run and that when the family was asked to come out it felt like maybe Johnny had made the team; she added that it was fun to represent him and to support everyone honoring him.
How Johnny Gaudreau and his brother died
On August 29, 2024, Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew Gaudreau were struck by a vehicle while riding their bikes in New Jersey. The brothers had been in town for their sister's wedding. Johnny Gaudreau, who was 31 at the time of his death, lost his life alongside his brother Matthew, who was 29. The deaths were described as a major tragedy and served as a motivation for the United States men's hockey players in their quest for Olympic gold.
Legal case and court details
The driver identified in the case, Sean Higgins, 44, has been charged with six counts that include aggravated manslaughter, reckless vehicular homicide, and leaving the scene of a fatal accident. Investigators and prosecutors have said Higgins was intoxicated at the time of the crash, and a blood-alcohol level of. 087 was noted, above the legal limit of. 08.
Court documents and statements indicate Higgins admitted believing the cars in front of him were moving too slowly as he attempted to pass. The documents note he tried to pass two vehicles ahead of him and entered the southbound lanes. An SUV in front moved toward the middle of the roadway, splitting the north and south lanes to pass the brothers, who were riding on the right side of the road. Higgins then attempted to pass the SUV on the left shoulder, later admitting in a recording that he thought the vehicle ahead was moving too slowly; police believe he struck the Gaudreau brothers during that maneuver. These court developments have emerged as the legal process continues.
What comes next
The Olympic tribute — including Team USA holding up Gaudreau's jersey and bringing his children onto the ice during the medal ceremony — highlighted both the personal loss felt by the hockey community and the broader emotional backdrop to the Americans' gold-medal run. The legal case against the driver remains active, and details may continue to emerge as proceedings advance.
