Johnny Gaudreau was killed in a car accident on August 29, 2024.
Gaudreau was an NHL veteran, playing 10 years in the league with the Calgary Flames and the Columbus Blue Jackets. He was a fan favourite, earning the nickname “Johnny Hockey.”
At the time of his death, the winger was in New Jersey with his brother Matthew for their sister’s wedding weekend. The brothers were struck by a drunk driver while biking at night. The incident rocked the hockey world. A year and a half later, however, Gaudreau is inspiring Team USA.
Here is more on Gaudreau serving as an inspiration for Team USA as it makes a bid for gold at the 2026 Olympics.
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How USA is paying tribute to Johnny Gaudreau at Olympics
Team USA has taken Gaudreau with them in spirit to the 2026 Olympics. They also ensured that they had a physical reminder of him to help inspire the team. Team USA has hung a Gaudreau jersey in their locker room ahead of every game they have played during the Olympics. The tribute grew as Gaudreau’s family arrived in Italy and took their seats in the stands wearing Gaudreau jerseys for the semi-final game.
Auston Matthews said about the tribute to Gaudreau, “Johnny had an impact on a lot of guys in this locker room. It’s special to see his family here. I know that those two are watching down on us, here with us in spirit.”
The Gaudreau family is at the U.S. game wearing Johnny’s U.S. gear, and the team has his jersey hanging in the locker room 🥹
Good chance Johnny would have been on this squad 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/Atg9EIGvmG
— NHLMuse (@NHL_Muse) February 20, 2026
What happened to Johnny Gaudreau?
Gaudreau and his brother were killed while riding bikes after a night out. They were struck by a drunk driver who didn’t see them before he hit them. By the time police arrived on the scene, both Gaudreau brothers had died.
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Johnny Gaudreau accident details
Gaudreau and his brother were hit by a Jeep on August 29, 2004. The two brothers had a night out and Johnny had a BAC of 0.134, while Matthew had a 0.129. While that was information released to the public, prosecutors pointed out that New Jersey doesn’t have a law against bicycling while intoxicated, so the brothers’ BAC’s were not to be used in the hearing and shouldn’t be heard by a jury.
Sean Higgins was driving the jeep that killed the Gaudreaus, and he himself had been drinking earlier in the night. He was charged with two counts of reckless vehicular homicide, two counts of aggravated manslaughter, two counts of evidence tampering and two counts of leaving the scene of a fatal accident.
While the accident occurred in August 2024, as of February 2026, Higgins was still awaiting his conviction decision.
Johnny Gaudreau cause of death
Gaudreau’s cause of death was a traffic collision between Higgins’ Jeep and Gaudreau, who was on a bicycle.
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Did Johnny Gaudreau play for USA hockey?
Gaudreau represented the United States in hockey, but he never got to play at the Olympics. He won a gold medal at the IIHF World Junior Championships in 2013, a silver medal at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup in 2010 and a bronze at the 2018 IIHF World Championships. Though not confirmed, many believe he would have been on the 2026 men’s Olympic roster.
Johnny Gaudreau family
Matthew Gaudreau
Matthew was Johnny’s little brother. When they died, Johnny was 31, and Matthew was 29. Matthew never made it to the NHL, but had played at Boston College and then played in the AHL and the ECHL from 2017-2018 to 2022.
Guy Gaudreau
Guy Gaudreau is Matthew and Johnny’s father. He played hockey himself and played collegiately at Norwich University from 1976 to 1980. After his playing career ended, he turned to coaching. Guy coached at the Hollydell Ice Arena in Sewell, New Jersey and then was his son’s high school coach at Gloucester Catholic High School.
After the deaths of Matthew and Johnny, former Philadelphia Flyers coach John Tortorella invited Guy to be a guest coach for the Flyers for a practice in September 2024.
Meredith Gaudreau
Meredith was Johnny’s wife. She was born in 1992 in Pennsylvania. Meredith went to James Madison University and eventually obtained her Master of Pediatric Nursing degree. She is a nurse at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
Meredith and Johnny did a good job of keeping their private lives private, so not much is known about when they met or how. They got married in September 2021.
Johnny Gaudreau kids
When Johnny passed, he had two kids, and his wife was pregnant with their third. Their first child is their daughter Noa who was born in 2022. The couple then had their first son, Johnny Jr., in 2024. Carter, their second son, was born on April 7, 2025, about seven months after Johnny’s passing.
Team USA will take on Canada on Sunday, February 22nd in the gold medal game at the 2026 Olympics. February 22nd is Johnny Jr’s birthday.
