Johnny Gaudreau Tribute Shapes Team USA’s Gold Celebration and Family Moment in Milan

Emerson Raymont

Published: February 24, 2026 5:54 AM ET

Johnny Gaudreau Tribute Shapes Team USA’s Gold Celebration and Family Moment in Milan

For teammates and the Gaudreau family, the Olympic gold in Milan landed as a deeply personal moment rather than a simple final score. The presence of johnny gaudreau in Team USA’s rituals — from locker-room jerseys to having his children on the ice — changed how the victory landed for the players and the family first and foremost. That emotional line runs through the win and the images that followed at Santagiulia Arena.

Impact on teammates and family: how the win felt

Players framed the gold as something they had won in part for the Gaudreau family. Several roster members carried the late player’s No. 13 jersey onto the ice as a visible sign of dedication, and teammates repeatedly described feeling his presence during the tournament. The Gaudreau family attended the game and were brought into the postgame celebration, making the medal and the photograph a family moment as much as a team one.

Johnny Gaudreau’s jersey, the kids and the Milan ceremony

After the United States beat Canada 2-1 in overtime at Santagiulia Arena, key players carried Johnny Gaudreau’s No. 13 jersey onto the ice and paraded it around the rink. During the team picture, Dylan Larkin held Johnny Jr., and Zach Werenski held Noa; Larkin and Matthew Tkachuk also held Gaudreau’s jersey. Werenski and others had planned to include family members on the ice if the U. S. won, and the team made a point of bringing the children out for the group photo. Noa was identified in the provided context as 3 years old, and Johnny Jr. turned 2 on that Sunday.

Game snapshot and emotional moments on the ice

The gold-medal game ended 2-1 in overtime for the United States despite the Americans being outshot markedly. The U. S. goaltender provided a strong performance, and Canada squandered multiple chances late, including a notably missed opportunity by Nathan MacKinnon on an open net in the final minutes. Teammates visibly reacted to seeing the Gaudreau children on laps during the picture, with at least one player’s eyes welling up at the scene and others saying the moment underscored the late player’s lasting impact.

Two accounts of the brothers’ deaths and legal status

The provided context records that Johnny and his brother Matthew died on Aug. 29, 2024, when they were struck by a car while riding bicycles near their Salem County, New Jersey, home. One passage describes that date as the night before they were to attend their sister Katie’s wedding; another passage describes the brothers being hit after their sister’s rehearsal dinner while riding home. The detail about whether it was the rehearsal dinner or the night before the wedding is unclear in the provided context. An alleged drunk driver has been charged with two counts of death by auto. Johnny was 31 at his death and Matthew was 29.

Career markers and why the jersey carries weight

Known widely as “Johnny Hockey, ” the player’s international and NHL accomplishments are listed in the provided context and help explain why his number has been treated as a symbol inside U. S. locker rooms. He led a tournament with seven goals when the U. S. won gold at the 2013 IIHF World Junior Championship in Russia, and he was part of the U. S. bronze team at the 2018 IIHF World Championship in Denmark. In the NHL he compiled 743 points — 243 goals and 500 assists — in 763 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 totaled 791 points (293 goals, 498 assists) in 715 games for the Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers and Detroit Red Wings. The context notes that “Johnny Hockey” would have been 32 today.

What’s easy to miss is how consistent the ritual of remembrance has been: the Americans 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 they also won gold; in Milan the jersey hung above a banner showing his No. 13 alongside Matthew’s No. 21 from Boston College.

Here’s the part that matters for the next chapter of this story: the ceremony and the roster’s gestures turned a sporting achievement into a public act of remembrance, and several small signs will indicate whether that ritual endures.

Players’ continued display of the No. 13 jersey at international events signals an institutional memorial within the team.
The family’s attendance and the children’s presence on the ice make future commemorations likely to be family-centered.
Legal proceedings tied to the deaths remain an active element in the background and could shape later public remembrances.
Repeated references to his international goals and NHL totals explain why teammates framed the win in terms of legacy as well as sport.

Micro timeline embedded in the moment

2013: Led the tournament with seven goals as the U. S. won gold at the IIHF World Junior Championship in Russia.
2018: Helped the U. S. win bronze at the IIHF World Championship in Denmark.
Aug. 29, 2024: Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau were struck and killed while riding bicycles near their Salem County, New Jersey, home — context alternately places the incident the night before a sister’s wedding and after a rehearsal dinner (unclear in the provided context).
2025: The Americans hung his jersey at the IIHF World Championship in Denmark and Sweden, where the team won gold.
2026 (Milan): Team USA defeated Canada 2-1 in overtime at Santagiulia Arena; teammates carried Johnny’s No. 13 onto the ice and included the children in the postgame photo.

The real test will be whether the jersey and the family-centered gestures remain visible at future tournaments and team events; those repeat actions will confirm the shift from individual loss to ongoing team tradition.