Honoring Gaudreau 'meant everything' to Team USA

MILAN -- Matthew Tkachuk, Zach Werenski and Auston Matthews carried Johnny Gaudreau’s No. 13 jersey onto the ice after Team USA won the gold medal at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, defeating Team Canada 2-1 in overtime at Santagiulia Arena on Sunday.

“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,” said Matthews, the United States' captain. “And he was with us here in spirit the whole tournament.”

Gaudreau 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. An alleged drunk driver has been charged with two counts of death by auto. Johnny was 31. Matthew was 29.

The Americans 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, Johnny's jersey hung above a banner displaying Johnny’s No. 13 and Matthew’s No. 21 from Boston College.

Johnny represented his country 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 he helped the U.S. win bronze at the 2018 IIHF World Championship in Denmark.

He 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.

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“We miss him and Matty so dearly,” forward Brady Tkachuk said. “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.”

The Gaudreau family attended the game. When the Americans took a team picture afterward, forward Dylan Larkin held Gaudreau's son, Johnny Jr., and Werenski held his daughter, Noa. Larkin and Matthew Tkachuk held Gaudreau's jersey.

“It meant everything,” Werenski said. “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.”