The dramatic Olympic gold medal win by the United States men’s hockey team on Sunday, which snapped a 46-year drought for the Americans, will be remembered forever.
But amid the celebrations and flowing tears of joy in Milan after Jack Hughes’ overtime goal against the Canadians, Team USA’s players had one of their fallen teammates at the front of mind.
Former USA Hockey and NHL star Johnny Gaudreau grew up in Salem County and was killed in August 2024 alongside his brother Matthew by an allegedly drunk driver in Oldmans Township, N.J. Gaudreau was supposed to be on this team in Milan skating around with a gold medal around his neck. But as they have all tournament, and in previous ones since his tragic death, Johnny Gaudreau’s former U.S. teammates ensured that he was there in spirit, as captain Auston Matthews and close friends Matthew Tkachuk and Zach Werenski skated around the ice holding up his No. 13 Team USA jersey. Tkachuk and Werenski played with Gaudreau in Calgary and Columbus, respectively.
The moment was especially touching given that Gaudreau’s parents, Guy and Jane, his widow, Meredith, and two of his children, Noa and Johnny Jr., were in the stands Sunday at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena. The American players later brought Noa and Johnny Jr. onto the ice to sit in for the team picture alongside their father’s jersey. Werenski and Dylan Larkin held the children during the photo, while Tkachuk held up Gaudreau’s jersey front and center. Sunday, in addition to being the anniversary of the 1980 Miracle on Ice at Lake Placid, was Johnny Jr.’s second birthday.
Gaudreau, who represented Team USA at the 2013 World Junior Championship as well as World Championships in 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2024, is the United States’ all-time leading scorer at World Championships. His mother told reporters in Italy on Friday that playing on this team was their dream.
After Team USA’s win in the semifinals, Larkin, Werenski, and several other teammates spoke about how important Gaudreau was to them and USA Hockey.
“It means everything — we all know he should be here with us,” said Larkin, who played with Gaudreau at multiple World Championships. “He should be with us. We love him, and I like that we continue to think about him and I wouldn’t imagine it any other way.”
Werenski added Friday how excited he was to have Gaudreau’s family in Italy cheering them on: “It’s great having them here, and it’s super special,” Werenski said. “We’re happy that we made it to the gold-medal game so they can watch that and be a part of it. It’s on us to make them proud.”
Gaudreau, who had just turned 31 before his death, racked up 743 points in 763 NHL games across 10-plus seasons, eight plus one game with the Flames and two with the Blue Jackets. He is considered the best hockey player to hail from the Philadelphia/South Jersey area, and his career 0.97 points per game mark in the NHL is the 10th-best all-time among Americans.
The former Gloucester Catholic star, who later went on to win an NCAA title and the Hobey Baker Award as the best player in college hockey at Boston College, was a seven-time NHL All-Star. His brother Matthew also played at BC and carved out a four-season pro career, reaching as high as the American Hockey League. “Matty” was 29 when he and Johnny, riding bicycles on the night before their sister’s wedding, were run off the road on Aug. 30, 2024.
After the brothers’ deaths, tributes poured in across the hockey world, including in South Jersey and with the Flyers, and across the NHL and beyond. USA Hockey has repeatedly honored Gaudreau’s legacy over the last few years and has made him and his family a constant presence. Gaudreau’s jersey has hung in the locker room at several international tournaments, including this year’s Olympics, while Guy Gaudreau, a longtime coach in South Jersey, has been invited to speak and help coach with Team USA.
“It meant everything,” said Werenski, who assisted on Hughes’ golden goal Sunday. ”This is something John would have been at. And to see his family here supporting us and 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 kids on the ice, he was a huge part of USA Hockey.”
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