Sports
The U.S. staff is paying tribute to the Gaudreau brothers of their locker room on the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Enviornment.
MILAN (AP) — Johnny Gaudreau was working onerous to make the U.S. staff heading to the 2026 Winter Olympics. He and brother Matthew watched the occasion rising up, all the time with eyes on enjoying in it.
“It was their dream,” Jane Gaudreau stated her sons.
Johnny and Matthew died on Aug. 29, 2024, after they had been struck by an SUV whereas riding bicycles close to their hometown in New Jersey on the eve of their sister Katie’s marriage ceremony. Their deaths shocked the hockey group, and so they have been honored since by retired numbers, a memorial 5K and extra.
An elite participant a decade into his NHL profession and the all-time U.S. main scorer in worldwide play, Johnny Gaudreau was on monitor to be in Milan for the match that wraps up Sunday when the People play rival Canada for the gold mdeal. Man Gaudreau stated USA Hockey was gracious sufficient to inform the household their oldest son was on the projected roster.
“He needed to be on this staff,” Man Gaudreau stated through the third interval of the U.S. semifinal win on Friday evening. “And it could’ve been good if he’d been right here.”
The U.S. is honoring the Gaudreau brothers with a tribute to them of their locker room on the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Enviornment. A blue No. 13 Gaudreau jersey hangs there as a reminder of the participant often known as “Johnny Hockey,” who was beloved by so many on the nationwide staff and past.
“It means every little thing — everyone knows he must be right here with us,” stated Dylan Larkin, who performed with Gaudreau at a number of world championships. “He must be with us. We love him, and I like that we proceed to consider him and I wouldn’t think about it every other means.”
Jane and Man Gaudreau, together with Johnny’s widow, Meredith, and their two oldest kids arrived in Milan on Friday. The Gaudreau mother and father had been planning a visit to Las Vegas and initially hesitated after USA Hockey invited them to attend.
“Our two daughters, for twenty-four hours, they simply stored at us: ‘It’s a must to go. The boys would need you to do that. This might imply a lot to John,’” Jane stated. “It simply means a lot to our household, and we’re so excited to recollect what our boys meant to hockey.”
The Gaudreau household connections to gamers on the roster run deep, from Boston School to the NHL. Along with the world championships, Johnny performed with Noah Hanifin on the Calgary Flames and Zach Werenski on the Columbus Blue Jackets.
“Johnny was near plenty of guys in that room,” Hanifin stated. “We all know he’d be right here with us, so we’ve been fascinated by him and carrying him with us.”
Werenski stated after he and his teammates superior to the ultimate that Meredith reached out to his spouse a number of days earlier to allow them to know they had been coming.
“It’s nice having them right here, and it’s tremendous particular,” Werenski stated. “We’re joyful that we made it to the gold-medal sport to allow them to watch that and be part of it. It’s on us to make them proud.”
Not that it could have been a lot of a debate, however coach Mike Sullivan confirmed what administration advised the Gaudreaus: Johnny would have been on the staff if he had been nonetheless alive, primarily based on his physique of labor and the way nicely he has performed in a U.S. uniform.
“He was one in every of America’s best possible,” Sullivan stated. “He’s only a good individual on the ice and off the ice, and I believe he’s an inspiration to our gamers to this very day.”
Gamers nonetheless speak about Gaudreau, and “all of the tales are humorous,” in line with Charlie McAvoy, who performed alongside him at worlds.
“Simply a tremendous individual, simply an infectious persona,” McAvoy stated. “The element, actually, with our employees and our tools employees particularly to be sure that he’s all the time with us, little reminders of him within the room, and so they simply go a good distance. You all the time see them. They’re simply mild. They’re proper there. However we all know that he’s all the time with us.”
Together with Johnny’s No. 13 jersey is that quantity on the wall alongside Matthew’s No. 21. It’s much like what USA Hockey did a yr in the past on the 4 Nations Face-Off, when Man Gaudreau took half in follow as a visitor coach.
This might have been Johnny Gaudreau’s first likelihood to play on the Olympics after the NHL didn’t take part in 2018 and 2022. But it surely nearly actually gained’t be the final time his jersey hangs within the U.S. locker room on the sport, a practice that might proceed for years to come back.
“I hope so,” Larkin stated. “I certain hope so.”
___
AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics
