Johnny Gaudreau honored as johnny gaudreau remembered in Milan
Team USA carried johnny gaudreau’s No. 13 onto the ice after winning the Olympic gold medal in Milan, a gesture teammates said commemorated the late forward throughout the tournament. The Americans defeated Team Canada 2-1 in overtime at Santagiulia Arena to secure the victory at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.
Johnny Gaudreau’s jersey carried
Matthew Tkachuk, Zach Werenski and Auston Matthews carried Johnny Gaudreau’s No. 13 jersey onto the ice after the win. The gold-medal game ended 2-1 in overtime, and Matthews, the United States' captain, said, "We’re obviously thinking of him, and we just felt like the impact that he’s had on so many guys in our room was special. " Matthews added, "And he was with us here in spirit the whole tournament. "
Family brought onto ice
Teammates worked to include the Gaudreau family in the celebration. Werenski and Dylan Larkin had planned, if the United States won, to get a team picture with the late brothers’ family on the ice. After the victory, Werenski and Larkin found Johnny and Meredith Gaudreau’s children — 3-year-old daughter Noa and son Johnny Jr., who turned 2 on Sunday — and brought them onto the ice.
The Gaudreau family attended the game. When the Americans took a team picture afterward, Dylan Larkin held Johnny Jr., and Werenski held Noa. Larkin and Matthew Tkachuk held Gaudreau’s jersey. Werenski said, "It meant everything. This is something John would have been at, and to see his family here supporting us, seeing his kids, bringing them on the ice... we talked about playing for him, making him proud, and I think we did that. Super special to see them and to have his kids on the ice. He was a huge part of USA Hockey. "
The crash and its aftermath
Johnny Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew, died on Aug. 29, 2024. The brothers were struck by a car while riding bicycles; the NHL-context account says the collision occurred near their home in Salem County, New Jersey the night before they were to attend the wedding of their sister, Katie. Another account in the provided context says the brothers were struck while riding their bicycles home after their sister’s rehearsal dinner in August 2024. An alleged drunk driver has been charged with two counts of death by auto. Johnny was 31. Matthew was 29.
Game and key moments
The United States beat Canada 2-1 in overtime despite being outshot dramatically. Connor Hellebuyck was lauded for a valiant effort in net. Canada missed multiple chances, including a moment when Nathan MacKinnon blew a wide-open cage in the waning minutes. Dylan Larkin reflected on the strange fortune, saying, "I think part of the puck not going in our net was somehow (Johnny) standing there doing something, laughing with Matty, just somehow they put a spell around our net where that puck didn’t go in. " Larkin added, "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. Johnny’s family first. "
Career and legacy
Known as "Johnny Hockey, " Johnny Gaudreau represented the United States multiple times. He led the tournament with seven goals when the U. S. won gold at the 2013 IIHF World Junior Championship in Russia and helped the U. S. win bronze at the 2018 IIHF World Championship in Denmark. He recorded 743 points (243 goals, 500 assists) in 763 NHL games for the Calgary Flames and Columbus Blue Jackets from 2014-24.
From 2014-15 through 2023-24, he ranked second in points among U. S. -born players to Patrick Kane, who had 791 points (293 goals, 498 assists) in 715 games for the Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers and Detroit Red Wings. Team members noted that Johnny’s jersey had been hung in the Americans’ locker room at the 4 Nations Face-Off last February and at the 2025 IIHF World Championship in Denmark and Sweden, where the U. S. won gold. In Milan, Johnny's jersey hung above a banner displaying Johnny’s No. 13 and Matthew’s No. 21 from Boston College.
Teammates’ reflections
Brady Tkachuk spoke for many when he said, "We miss him and Matty so dearly. He would have been on this team. He’s touched everybody on that ice.... We just wanted to show the Gaudreau family our support. He was so near and dear to a lot of us, and we miss him greatly, and we did it for them. " Brock Faber, moved by the sight of the children on the ice, said, "Just shows the lasting impact he’ll forever have on this team. His jersey will always be hung up in this locker room, and just really puts things into perspective when you see those kids on the ice and his family in the stands. His legacy will live on, and even though he is not here, he’s a part of this team, a huge part of this team. "
Werenski said he felt Johnny’s presence throughout the tournament and at previous stops: "I honestly felt (Johnny’s presence) the whole tournament. Felt he was here. I felt that feeling a lot in Columbus, and I felt it at the world stage, World Championships last year, now here at the Olympics. I feel like that he’s following us, and he’s got our back. "
Team USA’s gold-medal celebration in Milan combined a dramatic win on the ice with repeated, deliberate tributes to the late Gaudreau brothers, bringing their family into the moment and continuing the visible memorials that have accompanied the team at previous events.
