Johnny Gaudreau’s daughter Noa and son Johnny Jr. pose with Team USA after Olympic gold.
Credit : Gregory Shamus/Getty
(MILAN, ITALY)(Cleary’s NoteBook News)(February 22, 2026)–USA Hockey is honoring the memory of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau at the Olympics in Milan this weekend. According to the Associated Press, the U.S. is paying tribute to the brothers in their locker room at the Milano Santa Giulia Ice Hockey Arena. A blue No. 13 Gaudreau jersey hangs there as a reminder of the player known as “Johnny Hockey,” who was beloved by so many on the national team and beyond.
Image courtesy of 6ABC Action News
Johnny Gaudreau (31) and his brother, Matthew Gaudreau (29), died on August 29, 2024, after being struck from behind by a suspected drunk driver while riding bikes in Oldmans Township, New Jersey. They were killed on the eve of their sister’s wedding.
The brothers were riding bicycles on County Route 551, a rural road in Salem County. The driver, identified as Sean Higgins, was driving an SUV when he attempted to pass another vehicle illegally, according to the police report.
Higgins, who was suspected of being under the influence of alcohol, faces charges including vehicular homicide.
Johnny Gaudreau was a prominent NHL forward, most recently playing for the Columbus Blue Jackets, while Matthew was also a hockey player. He and his brother Matthew attended Gloucester Catholic High School in Gloucester City, NJ, where their father, Guy, coached the school’s hockey team.
Their deaths shocked the hockey community, and they have been honored since by retired numbers, a memorial 5K and more.
The boys’ parents, Guy and Jane Gaudreau, said Johnny and Matthew both dreamed of playing in the Olympics one day. “It was their dream,” Jane Gaudreau said of her sons.
The all-time U.S. leading scorer in international play, Johnny Gaudreau, was on track to be in Milan for the tournament that wraps up Sunday when the Americans play rival Canada for the gold medal. Guy Gaudreau said USA Hockey was gracious enough to tell the family their oldest son was on the projected roster.
“He wanted to be on this team,” Guy Gaudreau said during the third period of the U.S. semifinal win Friday night. “And it would’ve been nice if he’d been here.”
The boys’ parents, along with Johnny’s widow, Meredith, and their two oldest children, arrived in Milan on Friday. The Gaudreau parents had been planning a trip to Las Vegas and initially hesitated after USA Hockey invited them to attend.
“Our two daughters, for 24 hours, they just kept at us: ‘You have to go. The boys would want you to do this. This would mean so much to John,'” Jane said. “It just means so much to our family, and we’re so excited to remember what our boys meant to hockey.”
Coach Mike Sullivan confirmed what management told the Gaudreaus: Johnny would have been on the team if he were still alive, based on his body of work and how well he has played in a U.S. uniform.
Along with Johnny’s No. 13 jersey, his number is displayed on the wall alongside Matthew’s No. 21. It’s similar to what USA Hockey did a year ago at the Four Nations Face-Off, when Guy Gaudreau took part in practice as a guest coach.