Team Usa Honors Johnny Gaudreau With Emotional Olympic Gold Tribute As His Family Watches
Team USA men’s hockey paid tribute to the late Johnny Gaudreau on Sunday, skating onto the ice with his jersey and his children as they celebrated their Olympic gold medal victory.
Gaudreau and his brother Matthew were killed by an alleged drunk driver in New Jersey in August 2024 while they were in town for their sister’s wedding. The former Columbus Blue Jackets star was widely expected to be part of the Olympic roster had the tragedy not occurred.
Katie Gaudreau later appeared on Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends,” where she expressed her gratitude to Team USA for honoring her brother.
“Team USA truly went above and beyond. It meant everything to us,” she said Monday. “Just seeing Johnny’s jersey out there when Matthew (Tkachuk) skated with it round after round was incredibly meaningful. We honestly thought that would be the extent of it.”
“Then I noticed the jersey was still there during the gold medal ceremony, and I remember thinking, ‘Wow, it’s still on the ice.’ When they paused before the team photo, we were wondering what was happening. I had heard someone mention earlier that Meredith was in the crowd, and when they brought Johnny (Junior) out on his second birthday along with Noa, it truly meant the world to us. This is exactly what John wanted for his kids — to experience moments like this, these once-in-a-lifetime opportunities he worked so hard for.”
Team USA posed for a group photo with Johnny Gaudreau’s children following the men’s gold medal game between Canada and the United States on day 16 of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on Feb. 22, 2026, in Milan, Italy. (RvS.Media/Monika Majer/Getty Images)
The United States secured the gold medal with a 2–1 overtime win, sealed by Jack Hughes’ decisive goal. Canada had several chances to take control of the game but failed to convert.
Katie Gaudreau said she felt there may have been some kind of divine presence involved, given how many Canadian opportunities narrowly missed the net.
“They would’ve been incredibly proud,” she said. “They loved close games, so they probably would’ve been chirping everyone. There were moments where I was watching and thinking, ‘How did that not go in?’ It felt like there may have been a little help back there keeping the puck out. Defense was never really their thing, so I don’t know if they would’ve made it back to stop it themselves.”
She added that while the pain of losing her brothers remains, the overwhelming support from the hockey world has helped her family take things one day at a time.
“There’s no real way to process it. We’re still just moving forward day by day,” she said. “But because of the support from the hockey community — and really all of North America — we’ve been able to keep taking small steps forward. No parent, spouse, sibling, or child should ever have to endure something like this.”
Auston Matthews (34), Zach Werenski (8), and Matthew Tkachuk (19) of Team USA hold up Johnny Gaudreau’s jersey after defeating Canada in the men’s ice hockey gold medal game at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games on Feb. 22, 2026. (Amber Searls/Imagn Images)
“The fact that we’re still here, honoring the boys and their legacy step by step, is because of the community and gestures like what Team USA did,” she said. “The love and support shown for John’s kids and for Matthew’s family has been overwhelming. It’s incredible what this community is capable of when it comes together.”
