Team U.S.A. Honors Johnny Gaudreau After Defeating Canada for Olympic Gold
Team USA scored a resounding victory at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy, beating Canada’s hockey team for the gold medal. As the Americans skated onto the ice to victory, they paid tribute to late NHL great Johnny Gaudreau.
As the Americans celebrated their third gold medal in hockey, they released a Team USA jersey featuring the name of Columbus Blue Jackets winger Johnny Gaudreau. As fans cheered in the stands at the Games, team captain Auston Matthews, Zach Werenski and Matthew Tkachuk took a victory lap around the ice, hoisting Gaudreau’s jersey.
New Jersey-born Gaudreau, who also played in Canada for the Calgary Flames when he joined the NHL, was killed along with his brother Matthew when a drunk driver hit them while they were riding their bikes on Aug. 29, 2024, in Oldmans Township, New Jersey.
“It means everything — we all know he should be here with us,” Detroit Red Wings captain and Team USA forward Dylan Larkin told ESPN. “He should be with us. We love him and I love that we still think about him, and I wouldn’t imagine it any other way.”
Team USA also hung Johnny’s jersey in his own locker during events to serve as inspiration to players throughout the Olympic tournament.
“It’s great to have them here, and it’s super special,” said U.S. Olympic hockey player Zach Werenski. “We’re happy we made it to the gold medal game so they can watch it and be a part of it. It’s up to us to make them proud.”
Werenski was also Gaudreau’s teammate with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The Gaudreau family was also at the Games to cheer on the American team this year.
The father of the deceased player, Guy Gaudreau, was touched by this tribute.
“He wanted to be a part of this team,” the elder Gaudreau said during the third period of the U.S. semifinal victory Friday night. “And it would have been nice if he had been there.”
The American team also honored Johnny’s brother Matthew, who was also a promising hockey player.
“Our two daughters, for 24 hours, just told us, ‘You have to go. The boys would want you to do this. It would mean so much to John,'” Johnny’s mother, Jane, said. “This means so much to our family and we are very happy to remember what our boys meant to hockey.”
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