Johnny Gaudreau honored as Team USA brings his children on ice after gold
Team USA paid tribute to johnny gaudreau after winning Olympic gold in Milan, parading his No. 13 jersey and bringing his children onto the ice during the postgame picture following a 2-1 overtime victory over Team Canada at Santagiulia Arena. The moment reunited the Gaudreau family with teammates who have kept the brothers’ memory at the center of the national team’s recent run.
How the idea came together
In the hours before the gold-medal game, Columbus Blue Jackets captain Zach Werenski and Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin devised a plan: if the United States won, they would get a team picture with the late Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau’s family on the ice. Werenski said, "We wanted to get the whole family on, but it was kind of hard with the gate, so we figured we’d grab the kids, " and added that it was "a special moment seeing (their parents) Guy and Jane. "
Jersey carried onto the ice
After the United States beat Canada 2-1 in overtime, Matthew Tkachuk, Zach Werenski and Auston Matthews carried Johnny Gaudreau’s No. 13 jersey onto the ice. 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, " and added, "And he was with us here in spirit the whole tournament. " The Americans paraded the jersey at Santagiulia Arena following the win at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.
Gaudreau family on the ice
The Gaudreau family attended the game. Werenski and Larkin found Johnny and Meredith Gaudreau’s 3-year-old daughter Noa and son Johnny Jr., who turned 2 on Sunday, and sat them on their laps for the team photo. When the Americans posed afterward, forward Dylan Larkin held Gaudreau's son, Johnny Jr., and Werenski held his daughter, 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. " 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. Johnny’s family first. "
Game details and key moments
The United States won 2-1 in overtime despite being outshot dramatically. Connor Hellebuyck was valiant in net as Canada had missed chance after missed chance, including when Nathan MacKinnon blew a wide-open cage in the waning minutes. Larkin reflected on the win and the connection to the Gaudreau brothers, 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... We miss him, and we love him. We love his family and we can’t wait to celebrate with them. " The victory marked the country's first men’s hockey gold medal in 46 years.
Legacy, career numbers and past tributes
Johnny Gaudreau represented the United States multiple times. He led a tournament with seven goals when the U. S. won gold at the 2013 IIHF World Junior Championship in Russia, and he helped the U. S. win bronze at the 2018 IIHF World Championship in Denmark. The Americans previously hung Johnny’s jersey in their locker room at the 4 Nations Face-Off last February and at the 2025 IIHF World Championship in Denmark and Sweden, where they won gold; in Milan his jersey hung above a banner displaying Johnny’s No. 13 and Matthew’s No. 21 from Boston College. Gaudreau had 743 points (243 goals, 500 assists) in 763 NHL games for the Calgary Flames and Columbus Blue Jackets from 2014-24. From 2014-15 though 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. "Johnny Hockey, " as he was known, would have been 32 today.
Death and legal status
Johnny and his brother, Matthew, died on Aug. 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. Other accounts note the brothers were struck while riding their bicycles home after their sister’s rehearsal dinner in August 2024. Johnny was 31 and Matthew was 29. An alleged drunk driver has been charged with two counts of death by auto.
Forward Brady Tkachuk 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. " Defenseman Brock Faber added, "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. "
The moment on the ice in Milan tied together a tournament-long remembering of johnny gaudreau and his brother, their presence threaded through past tournaments and the squad that lifted Olympic gold.
