Meredith Gaudreau — the widow of NHL player Johnny Gaudreau — continues to feel the love for her late husband and his brother, Matthew, after returning from a visit to the 2026 Olympic Games in Milan.
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Gaudreau went overseas with her and Johnny’s three children and her in-laws, Jane and Guy Gaudreau. The family was in attendance to see Team USA capture gold in men’s and women’s ice hockey.
The men’s team honored Johnny — who was killed along with Matthew when they were struck by an alleged drunk driver while riding bicycles in their home state of New Jersey in August 2024 — by placing his sweater in their dressing room and parading it out onto the ice following their victory.
Johnny was 31 when he died and played 10 years in the NHL with the Calgary Flames and Columbus Blue Jackets. He would have been a candidate to represent his home country at the Games. Matthew, who died at 29 years old, could have been in the stands cheering him on.
Instead, it was Meredith and the Gaudreau family bringing them along in spirit to see what the USA would accomplish.
“Our most memorable weekend for Daddy,” she shared in an Instagram post Sunday. “Thank you NBC for this most special weekend for my family. A once in a lifetime opportunity for us, centered by love for our favorite person.”
She also mentioned Gaudreau’s teammate from Columbus, Zach Werenski, as going above and beyond for her and Johnny’s kids. Werenski and his teammate Dylan Larkin brought two of Gaudreau’s children — Noa, 3, and Johnny Jr., 2 — onto the ice during their post-win celebration, too.
“To even be included on the celebrations back home with Uncle Z was so touching. And shout out to the Uncle Zach for calling us on his first day back home (first day off) to come over and play. I don’t have words for what he and [wife] Odette mean to us. All I can say is you are so deserving of that gold medal!!!! This whole team. Congratulations team USA on winning! Congratulations to you, my husband for being so very loved. We love you so much and are so proud of you.”
The trip was ultimately a positive experience for the Gaudreaus. But there was initially some hesitation about whether they would all attend.
In a message posted to the family’s X account, they revealed those reservations — and what finally drew them to go along for the ride with no regrets.
“When we were first invited to Milan for the Olympics, we said no,” the statement read. “It felt like more than we could handle. But we kept thinking about what John and Matty would say if they knew we turned it down. We knew the answer. John loved representing his country.
“From the time he was little, he dreamed of competing at the Olympics. In that final summer, he was working harder than ever, pushing himself with everything he had to earn a spot on that roster. He was going to be there. Sitting with that knowledge while watching these Games was not easy — but being present for them, surrounded by people who truly cared about John and Matty, made it something we will always treasure.”
Last year, after securing its first gold medal at the IIHF World Championship in 92 years, Team USA honored Gaudreau by posing with his No. 13 jersey next to the trophy.
