Members of Team United States honored Johnny Gaudreau after Sunday’s historic victory over Canada to win Olympic gold.
Jack Hughes scored in overtime to give the U.S. a 2-1 victory.
It’s the nation’s third men’s hockey title at the Games and its first since the “Miracle on Ice” in 1980 – 46 years to the day of the upset over the Soviet Union.
Hughes’ goal off the rush, on a pass from Zach Werenski 1:41 into 3-on-3 OT, sent players into a wild celebration as Canada’s entire team watched from the bench.
Werenski and Matthew Tkachuk carried a Johnny Gaudreau No. 13 jersey around the ice as the latest tribute to the beloved player, who was killed along with his brother by an alleged drunk driver in Salem County, New Jersey in August 2024.
Gaudreau’s parents, Guy and Jane, his widow, Meredith, and their oldest children were in attendance. It was John Jr.’s second birthday.
After receiving their gold medals, players were seen posing for photos with Gaudreau’s jersey, along with two of his children on the ice.
Johnny Gaudreau had been working hard to make the U.S. team heading into the 2026 Winter Olympics. He and his brother Matthew watched the event growing up, always dreaming of playing in it.
“It was their dream,” Jane Gaudreau said of her sons.
“He wanted to be on this team,” added Guy Gaudreau during the third period of the U.S. semifinal win Friday night. “And it would’ve been nice if he’d been here.”
The Gaudreau family’s connections to players on the roster run deep, from Boston College to the NHL. In addition to the world championships, Johnny played with Noah Hanifin on the Calgary Flames and Zach Werenski on the Columbus Blue Jackets.
“Johnny was close to a lot of guys in that room,” Hanifin said. “We know he’d be here with us, so we’ve been thinking about him and carrying him with us.”
Sean Higgins, the driver accused of killing the brothers, is facing two counts each of reckless vehicular homicide, aggravated manslaughter, evidence tampering, and leaving the scene of a fatal accident. He is due back in court this week.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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