NHL fans will remember the heartbreak that August 29th, 2024, brought with it. The young, talented brothers, Matthew and Johnny Gaudreau, were killed by a drunk driver as they were riding their bicycles near their childhood home, just a day before their sister Katie’s wedding. The family has shown tremendous resilience in the aftermath of the tragedy and has made a dedicated effort to honoring their memory, with Katie once saying, “They did so much good in such a short period of time, and I just think we need to capitalize on that and keep going. That is what they would want.” The John and Matthew Gaudreau Foundation is what keeps that going. One example is their latest endeavor: a collaboration with the Columbus Blue Jackets and LineChangeCo.

Johnny Gaudreau may not have spent a long time in Columbus—just two seasons—but his impact was tremendous. And Matthew was just getting started in the world of hockey coaching following a hockey career in the AHL. This was a family that bled hockey. In a new effort to commemorate the memories of these legendary brothers, the Blue Jackets, along with Meredith Gaudreau and LineChangeCo, a company that designs quality fashion for female sports fans started by two hockey wives (Angela Price and Julie Petry), have launched a limited edition crewneck. 100% of the proceeds from sales of this garment will go to the John and Matthew Gaudreau Foundation, which has already done incredible work in the fields of education and advocacy.

The crew neck will be available in limited quantities at the team store in Columbus. Fittingly enough, it was designed by Meredith for the Columbus Blue Jackets’ “Hockey for Her” event and was inspired by the Blue Jackets’ third jersey colors. According to the franchise, “Hockey For Her is an initiative aimed at celebrating and empowering women in the hockey community.”

“We want to keep doing things that John and Mathew had always been doing, youth hockey initiatives, helping other families that have faced tragedies in the hockey community,” Meredith said of the foundation that she started with her sister-in-law Madeline while speaking to Angela Price and Julie Petry in an online interview.

The NHL also continues to find ways to commemorate the memory of Matthew and Johnny Gaudreau. Owing to their Jersey roots, the New Jersey Devils instituted the Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau Most Valuable Player Award. The award, which recognizes outstanding college hockey players, was instituted earlier this year and serves as an important platform for young students looking to build on their dreams. These initiatives, along with the ongoing efforts of the John and Matthew Gaudreau Foundation—such as the limited edition Blue Jacket’s crewnecks—help to keep the legacy and generosity of these two brothers alive.

How Meredith Gaudreau, the wife of Johnny Gaudreau, continues his legacy through the work of the foundation

While the John and Matthew Gaudreau Foundation aims to continue the work that the brothers already started in low-income schools, it also helps hockey families affected by accidents and families impacted by drunk drivers and negligence.

In the immediate aftermath of the accident, the NHL stepped in in many different ways to help support the foundation, with the Blue Jackets raising more than $250,000 early on through an online auction and holding an online draw, as well as an emotional pre-game ceremony where they commemorated the time Johnny Gaudreau spent on the team.

The first two fundraisers held by the foundation aimed to support two South Jersey schools that were close to the brothers’ hearts: Archbishop Damiano School for children with disabilities, where they volunteered, and Gloucester Catholic School, where they began their hockey journeys.

As mentioned earlier, the work of the foundation is to build on a legacy that the brothers had already begun! For over 8 years, the Gaudreau family has been hosting a golf tournament to help with tuition assistance at the Gloucester Catholic School that the Gaudreau brothers attended, and they had been adamant on giving back to it from early on. Since their deaths, the family has commented on how much both brothers cherished the day of the golf tournament, one of their favorite days of the summer, as Katie said.

Apart from actively supporting families that are affected by drunk drivers, the Gaudreau family also took part in the John R. Elliott HERO Walk in Ocean City that brings awareness to the irrevocable damage caused by drunk drivers, with Katie Gaudreau saying that as they continue to grieve this unimaginable loss, their main aim is, “just to help other families who have been going through the same thing.” 

The new limited LineChangeCo crewnecks honor the brothers in a particularly touching way, as at the back of the sweatshirt, just below the neck, is the Gaudreau name, followed by the numbers 13 and 21 and two doves to represent the brothers. Many NHL players wore this sticker on their helmets at the start of the season following the tragedy, and the families did the same to commemorate it; it symbolizes the kind, generous legacy that Matthew and Johnny Gaudreau leave behind.