There are games you watch and instantly know they’ll be replayed for decades, the kind of nights that etch themselves into hockey lore before the final buzzer even sounds. Saturday’s USA-Canada clash at the 4 Nations Face-Off was one of those nights. Matthew Tkachuk is although good at adding fuel to the fire. Hated by Canadians for chirping, but amidst his chirps and the fists, the hits and the heroics, there was an undercurrent of something heavier.

Matthew Tkachuk is no stranger to lighting a fire under his opponents, but for once, the Florida Panthers star winger was slowed by something deeper. As Team USA hung Columbus Blue Jackets’s late star, Johnny Gaudreau’s No. 13 jersey in their TD Garden locker room. Tkachuk took a moment away from the relentless battle on the ice to honor his late Calgary Flames teammate, who shares the same name with his late friends’ brother. Nicknamed “Johnny Hockey” Gaudreau, a dazzling playmaker and one of the NHL’s most electrifying forwards, was tragically killed in a car accident alongside his younger brother, Matthew, on August 29, 2024. He was just 31.

In clip posted on X he let it all out. “Everywhere you go in that locker room, you see his jersey and that No. 13,” Tkachuk said, his voice thick with emotion. “You get emotional because he should be here with us competing and playing for this country. We don’t take this opportunity for granted, and he’s one of the big things we’re playing for right now.” The USA’s #25 said in the pre-game presser ahead of the championship final, where they take on arch rivals Team Canada once again, tomorrow.

Tkachuk, ever the competitor, has always been one to channel his emotions into his game. And he showed it on Saturday—setting the tone early with a fight against Canada’s Brandon Hagel, a gloves-off, message-sending moment just after puck drop. The game carried an almost cinematic intensity, every shift charged with the weight of both national pride and personal tribute. “He’s with us, and he’s looking down on us,” Tkachuk continued. “We know he’s gonna give us all the strength he can to compete and do our absolute best tomorrow. So him and his whole family, we think about them all the time.”

The emotion extended beyond Matthew Tkachuk. USA head coach Mike Sullivan confirmed that Gaudreau’s presence loomed large over the tournament, a silent force driving the team forward. “I heard that maybe his wife might be in attendance for the game, which is super special to us,” Tkachuk added. “You know, it’s just an opportunity that we have for so many people, but especially them, to show what we can do, and definitely have him in our thoughts.”

At his best, Gaudreau was a magician with the puck—silky hands, impossible edge work, the ability to turn a sliver of open ice into a breakaway. And off the ice, by all accounts, he was just as special—a devoted husband, brother, and teammate whose impact on the game stretched beyond goals and assists.

Matthew Tkachuk Vows to Keep Johnny Gaudreau’s Memory Alive

For Matthew Tkachuk, life has always been a whirlwind—whether he’s lighting up the ice in Florida, promoting the game, or spending summers celebrating with the Stanley Cup in September 2024. But this past offseason took a heartbreaking turn when he learned of the passing of his close friend and former teammate, Johnny Gaudreau, on August 29.

Tkachuk and Gaudreau shared six seasons together with the Calgary Flames, forming a bond that went beyond just being line mates. As he sat at the Florida Panthers’ practice facility, reflecting on his friend, Tkachuk’s emotions shifted between deep sorrow and warm nostalgia. “You know, the thing that’s getting me through this, is those stories I was telling you about,” he said. “Those stories about him I tell all the guys constantly. I’m going to keep those stories with me forever and I’m going to keep his memory alive in everybody by continuing to tell those stories.”

One way, Tkachuk already honored Gaudreau by making his own mark at the 4-Nations Face-off. “He would have been there, and wearing that Team USA jersey meant a lot to him,” he said. “We can do something special,” Tkachuk said. Even still, a small part of his mind remained focused on the international tournaments, where he’ll never get the chance to play with Gaudreau again.

Now, all he can do it carry his legacy forward on Saturday night by bringing home the 4-Nations cup for Team USA.