Johnny Gaudreau’s Absence Reshaped Team USA’s Gold Moment — Family, Jersey Rituals and Locker‑Room Legacy

Johnny Gaudreau’s loss was the throughline of Team USA’s Olympic win: teammates brought his No. 13 onto the ice, his children were brought into the postgame photo, and players said his presence carried them through the tournament. That immediate emotional impact landed first on his family and the locker room culture, then rippled outward to how the U. S. framed this gold medal at Milano Cortina 2026.

Johnny Gaudreau’s absence and who felt it most — family, teammates and the locker room

Team leaders explicitly tied the victory to the Gaudreau family. Auston Matthews, the United States' captain, said the late forward was with the group "in spirit the whole tournament" and players described playing for him. The Gaudreau family attended the game; teammates made a point to include the children in the celebration, centering the family in the win. Here’s the part that matters: those gestures are the clearest, immediate sign of how one player's life changed the dynamic of a championship run.

How the win unfolded in Milan and the ceremonial gestures that followed

The United States beat Team Canada 2-1 in overtime at Santagiulia Arena. Matthew Tkachuk, Zach Werenski and Auston Matthews carried Johnny Gaudreau’s No. 13 jersey onto the ice after the victory. The Americans then gathered with the Gaudreau family for a team picture: Dylan Larkin held Gaudreau's son, Johnny Jr., and Werenski held his daughter, Noa, while Larkin and Matthew Tkachuk also held Gaudreau's jersey during the postgame photo. Players described the moment as deeply meaningful and tied it to their sense of purpose in the tournament.

The children on ice and the choices teammates made to include family

Hours before the gold medal game, Zach Werenski and Dylan Larkin had planned to get the family on the ice if the U. S. won; they wanted the whole family but were limited by the gate and instead brought the children out. The children were identified as Noa, their 3-year-old daughter, and Johnny Jr., who turned 2 on Sunday. Players said seeing the kids on laps and the family in the stands brought perspective and emotion to the celebration.

Gaudreau’s on-ice legacy and the locker-room tributes that preceded Milan

Johnny Gaudreau, known as "Johnny Hockey, " represented the United States at multiple tournaments: he led a 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. The Americans had hung his jersey in their locker room at the 4 Nations Face-Off last February and again at the 2025 IIHF World Championship in Denmark and Sweden, where the U. S. won gold. In Milan his jersey hung above a banner displaying Johnny’s No. 13 and his brother Matthew’s No. 21 from Boston College.

Stats, career notes and a locker-room ranking that framed his standing

Across NHL seasons from 2014-24, Johnny Gaudreau had 743 points — 243 goals and 500 assists — in 763 NHL games for the Calgary Flames and the Columbus Blue Jackets. 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. Those numbers were part of why teammates repeatedly referenced his influence inside the room and on the ice.

The deaths, legal status and how teammates referenced the timing

Johnny and his brother Matthew died on August 29, 2024 — the night before they were to attend the wedding of their sister, Katie — when they were riding bicycles near their home in Salem County, New Jersey and struck by a car. An alleged drunk driver has been charged with two counts of death by auto. Johnny was 31 and Matthew was 29. Teammates and staff noted the brothers' absence in multiple settings and used jersey displays as ongoing tribute points.

• 2013: Led U. S. with seven goals at the World Junior Championship in Russia, helping win gold.
• 2018: Helped the U. S. win bronze at the World Championship in Denmark.
• Feb 2025: His jersey was in the locker room at the IIHF World Championship in Denmark and Sweden, where the U. S. won gold.
• Aug 29, 2024: Johnny and Matthew died after being struck while riding bicycles near their Salem County, New Jersey home.

It’s easy to overlook, but the combination of ritual — hanging jerseys, parading a No. 13 on ice, bringing the children into the team photo — converted private grief into a public, team-centered narrative during the Olympics. The real question now is how those rituals will shape locker-room culture and memorial practices going forward for this group.

Brief emotional notes from teammates were consistent: Brady Tkachuk said the team misses Johnny and his brother deeply and that Johnny would have been on this team; Zach Werenski called bringing the kids on ice "meant everything" and said the team talked about playing to make him proud; Brock Faber said seeing the children and family underscored the lasting impact and that Johnny’s jersey will remain in the locker room. Players also credited Connor Hellebuyck for valiant goaltending in a game where Canada had multiple chances and the U. S. prevailed in overtime despite being outshot.

Next signals that will confirm how this moment evolves include whether the team maintains those locker-room tributes at future events and how the Gaudreau family chooses to participate in subsequent ceremonies; details on the legal case in Salem County, New Jersey remain part of the broader story and are noted in official filings. Recent updates indicate some elements of the legal process have been initiated; details may evolve.