USA Hockey dedicated the country’s first Olympic gold medal since 1980 to the late Johnny Gaudreau, with teammates carrying his No. 13 jersey around the ice after beating Canada in overtime.
Dylan Larkin and Matthew Tkachuk skated with Gaudreau’s jersey following the victory at the Milan Olympics.
The tribute extended beyond the celebration. Gaudreau’s oldest children, 3-year-old Noa and 2-year-old Johnny Jr., joined the team on ice for the championship photo along with their grandparents Guy and Jane. Larkin and Zach Werenski brought the children onto the ice.
“It meant everything,” said Werenski, who assisted on Jack Hughes’ golden goal in overtime. “This is something John would have been at. And to see his family here supporting us and seeing his kids, bringing them on the ice, we talked about playing for him, making him proud and I think we did that.”
“Super special to see them and to have kids on the ice, he was a huge part of USA Hockey.”
Johnny and his brother Matthew died in August 2024. They were struck by an SUV while riding bicycles near their hometown in New Jersey on the eve of their sister Katie’s wedding.
Gaudreau’s jersey hung in the U.S. locker room throughout the tournament.
“He’s with us here in spirit for the whole tournament,” captain Auston Matthews said. “To have his jersey out there in the team photo and have his kids come out and be with us, we’re obviously thinking of him.”
Guy Gaudreau confirmed that USA Hockey told the family Johnny was on the projected roster for Milan. The late forward was an elite player a decade into his NHL career and the all-time U.S. leading scorer in international play.
“He obviously would have been on this team — and been a huge part of it,” forward J.T. Miller said. “A guy I grew up with and against and knew pretty well. It’s more than hockey, at that point. … He deserved better, and he had a big part in how things went down today.”
Larkin dedicated the victory to both Gaudreau and former USA Hockey executive Jim Johannson, who died unexpectedly just before the 2018 Olympics. The gold medal represents just the third U.S. men’s hockey championship in Olympic history.
“This is for the guys who wore this jersey before us,” Larkin said. “All those people should be here. Johnny especially, Matty his brother. To get it done today, it’s just an unbelievable feeling.”
The players said Gaudreau, known as “Johnny Hockey,” should have been with them in Milan.
