Johnny Gaudreau honored as Team USA brings his children onto the ice after Olympic gold

Team USA’s gold-medal victory was marked by a deliberate tribute to johnny gaudreau and his family, with teammates bringing his young children onto the ice and parading his Team USA jersey after the win. The scene tied the team’s first men’s Olympic hockey title in 46 years to the loss of Johnny and his brother Matthew.

Milan planning: Werenski and Larkin’s idea before the gold medal game

In the hours leading up to Sunday’s gold medal game in Milan, Columbus Blue Jackets captain Zach Werenski and Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin devised a plan: if the United States won gold, they wanted a team picture with the late Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau’s family on the ice. Werenski, who was Johnny’s former Blue Jackets teammate, said they had aimed to get the whole family on the ice but thought it would be difficult with the gate and therefore would "grab the kids. " The plan was set against the backdrop of the United States winning its first men’s hockey gold medal in 46 years.

Johnny Gaudreau’s children Noa and Johnny Jr. brought onto the ice during the medal ceremony

Werenski and Larkin located Johnny and Meredith Gaudreau’s 3-year-old daughter Noa and son Johnny Jr., who turned 2 on Sunday, and brought them onto the ice for the team photograph and medal celebration. The moment included Gaudreau’s parents, Guy and Jane, in the stands; Brock Faber later described his eyes welling up seeing the kids sitting on Larkin’s and Werenski’s laps during the team photo. The gesture also echoed a headline noting Team USA had brought the late Johnny Gaudreau’s kids on ice during the medal ceremony.

How teammates paraded Gaudreau’s Team USA jersey after the 2-1 overtime win

Auston Matthews and Matthew Tkachuk paraded Gaudreau’s Team USA jersey around the ice after the United States beat Canada 2-1 in overtime Sunday. The victory came despite the Americans being outshot dramatically; Connor Hellebuyck was described as valiant in net. Canada generated several big chances, and Nathan MacKinnon notably blew a wide-open cage in the waning minutes.

Teammates’ memories and quotes tying the win to Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau

Werenski said he felt Johnny’s presence "the whole tournament, " adding that the feeling had been present in Columbus, at the World Championships last year and at the Olympics, and that he felt Johnny "was following us, and he’s got our back. " Werenski called the win something Johnny would have been at, and said seeing the family supporting the team and the kids on the ice made the moment feel right. 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 to have Johnny Jr. and Noa out there, it just felt right, " and added, "Johnny’s family first. " On the game itself, Larkin said he felt part of the reason the puck did not go in the U. S. net was that Johnny and Matty somehow put a spell around it, and he smiled while reflecting that Johnny would never have been on the defensive side. Brock Faber said the scene "just shows the lasting impact he’ll forever have on this team, " adding that Johnny’s jersey will always be hung up in the locker room and that seeing the kids on the ice and the family in the stands "puts things into perspective. "

The brothers’ deaths and the loss felt by the team

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. Teammates have carried that loss into this tournament; Matthews said Johnny "has had a big impact on a lot of guys in our room, " noting that many grew up with him, played with him and spent time with him in NHL and World Championships settings. Matthews said the team had Johnny’s jersey in their room last year in the 4 Nations and had it in the room at the Olympics. The provided context includes a partial, truncated line of Matthews’s remarks that is unclear in the provided context.