Gaudreau family says they’ll never forget U.S. men’s hockey team honoring sons at Olympics
By Kerri Corrado, Scott Jacobson
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SALEM COUNTY, New Jersey (KYW) — For Jane and Guy Gaudreau, the 2026 Winter Olympics are a golden moment the two will never forget.
After the United States men’s hockey team won the gold medal over Canada, they honored their sons, Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau, who were killed by an alleged drunk driver in Salem County, New Jersey, in 2024. Team USA skated around the rink while holding Johnny’s No. 13 jersey.
The moment left Jane and Guy Gaudreau, Johnny’s parents, proud and emotional.
“Right there in the moment, I knew that John and Matty were so happy we went,” Jane Gaudreau said. “That we were there to be able to honor both of them.”
Along with holding Johnny Gaudreau’s jersey, the U.S. men’s hockey team had his children be a part of the team picture.
“That picture is worth 1,000 words to me, like it is so beautiful and so genuine,” Jane Gaudreau said. “For the team to give John’s children that opportunity, he wasn’t able to be there, but they were both there for him.”
The Gaudreaus said at first they declined the Olympic invitation because they thought it would be too hard, and then changed their mind. They said the hockey team embraced them with so much love and respect.
“I said, I just have a feeling this is a sign from John, saying, ‘I can’t be there. Can you be there for us?'” Jane Gaudreau said.
Jane and Guy Gaudreau said playing for their country was a dream. Guy even helped Johnny train.
“He worked all summer with me and was in tremendous shape and was ready to go, and obviously he didn’t get a chance to do that,” Guy Gaudreau said. “But that was his dream to get a gold medal.”
Many family and friends were watching from home and saw the special tribute.
“Everyone in the house lost it, and I thought, well really everyone in the world lost it,” Jane Gaudreau said.
An American flag hangs at the memorial where the brothers were killed on County Route 551 in Oldman’s Township in Salem County.
The Gaudreaus said they are touched by the outpouring of support.
“These are professional athletes playing, just showing the love they had for him was really it tells you a lot about your sons and what they were all about,” Guy Gaudreau said.
To continue to keep Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau’s legacy alive, they will hold the second annual Gaudreau Family 5K in May at Washington Lake Park in Sewell.
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