Johnny Gaudreau honored as Team USA wins historic gold; johnny gaudreau remembered in Milan
Team USA won its first men’s Olympic hockey gold in 46 years in Milan, and the victory doubled as a tribute to johnny gaudreau and his brother Matthew. Players and coaches made a deliberate effort to involve the Gaudreau family in the on-ice celebration after the overtime win.
Johnny Gaudreau family placed at center of celebration
After the final buzzer, members of the winning side paraded a Team USA jersey around the ice in a gesture dedicated to Johnny Hockey and his brother Matthew. Zach Werenski, Dylan Larkin and Team USA captain Auston Matthews were among the players who carried the jersey before Werenski and Larkin located Johnny and Meredith Gaudreau’s children, 3-year-old Noa and son Johnny Jr., who turned 2 on Sunday.
Werenski and Larkin planned a team photo in Milan before the gold medal game
In the hours leading up to Sunday’s gold medal game, Columbus Blue Jackets captain Zach Werenski and Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin came up with the idea that, if the United States won, they would get the Gaudreau family on the ice for a team picture. Werenski, who was Johnny’s former Blue Jackets teammate, said they had hoped to get the whole family on but found it hard with the gate and decided to bring the kids out instead.
United States beat Canada 2-1 in overtime despite being outshot
The United States defeated Canada 2-1 in overtime on Sunday, overcoming a game in which they were outshot dramatically. Connor Hellebuyck was described as valiant in net, and Canada squandered multiple chances, including a moment when Nathan MacKinnon missed a wide-open cage in the waning minutes.
Players said the win was tied to the memory of johnny gaudreau and Matthew
Werenski said he felt Johnny’s presence throughout the tournament, noting a similar sense in Columbus and at the World Championships last year, and that he felt Johnny was "following us" and had their back. Larkin said, "Johnny and Matty should be here, and that is still the biggest loss that all of us, USA Hockey, their family, our family, has gone through, " and added that having Johnny Jr. and Noa on the ice "just felt right, " closing with, "Johnny’s family first. "
Brock Faber and Auston Matthews on legacy and the locker-room tribute
Defenseman Brock Faber was visibly moved, his eyes welling up as he watched Noa and Johnny Jr. sit on Larkin’s and Werenski’s laps during the team photo. Faber said the scene showed the lasting impact Johnny will have on the team, adding that "His jersey will always be hung up in this locker room" and that Johnny’s legacy will live on as part of the team.
Auston Matthews said Johnny had a big impact on many players, noting that a lot of guys grew up with him, played with him and spent time with him in different settings, whether in the NHL or at the World Championships. Matthews said the team had Johnny’s jersey in the room last year in the 4 Nations and again in the room at the Olympics. The final line of Matthews’s remarks in the available text is unclear in the provided context.
The deaths of Johnny Hockey and Matthew Gaudreau and how the team framed the win
The beloved "Johnny Hockey" and his brother Matthew Gaudreau died after being struck by an alleged drunk driver while riding their bicycles home after their sister’s rehearsal dinner in August 2024. Players repeatedly tied the gold-medal moment to that loss, saying they had talked about playing for the brothers and making them proud.
