The No. 13 jersey of Johnny Gaudreau hangs inside Team USA’s men’s hockey locker room to honor their former player.
Gaudreau and his younger brother Matthew were struck and killed in August of 2024 while riding bikes in New Jersey. They were killed just one day before their sister Katie was set to get married. Their deaths shocked not only the NHL community but the entire nation with an outpour of support immediately coming in.
Photo courtesy of Creative Commons
J. Gaudreau played for Team USA in six different international events, including five International Ice Hockey Federation Men’s World Championships. Throughout these games, Gaudreau earned 43 points in 40 games, the most points in USA men’s IIHF history.
The Gaudreau family released a statement via Instagram showing their support for Team USA, adding how much the Olympics meant to Johnny: “Representing Team USA at the Olympics was one of his greatest dreams,” the family said. “In that final summer, John was training harder than ever, with his dad, pushing himself to be in the best shape of his life. He was determined to earn his spot on that Olympic roster.”
The family went on to add their support for Gaudreau’s former teammates on their journey for the gold medal.
“Go Team USA. We know John and Matty are watching with pride.”
While on the Columbus Blue Jackets, Gaudreau played alongside teammate and current member of Team USA Zach Werenski. The pair represented Team USA together back in 2024 for the men’s championship.
“It’s super special to see his jersey hanging, and we’re playing for him and trying to make him proud,” Werenski said in an interview with NBC News.
Werenski arrived in Italy wearing a special sweatshirt in honor of Gaudreau. The hoodie is from the John and Matthew Gaudreau Foundation, which was created in memory of the two.
The foundation is run by the brothers’ wives, Meredith and Madeline, and strives to support youth hockey initiatives and other families that have been affected by drunk driving.
Gaudreau was honored back in 2025 when Team USA won its first gold medal since 1933 at the IIHF World Championship. While celebrating on the ice, the team brought out his jersey and posed for a picture along with the trophy.
U.S. men’s hockey team head coach Mike Sullivan acknowledged that Johnny’s legacy does not go unnoticed.
“The fact that our team is celebrating him throughout this tournament just speaks volumes to the character and the person that Johnny was,” Sullivan said in an interview with NBC News. “I know how much he meant to a lot of the guys in that room.”
As of Feb. 18, Team USA has secured a spot in the Quarterfinals and will face off against Sweden.
With more thrilling matchups to come, fans can tune in and watch on services such as Peacock, NBC and CNBC, just to name a few.