Johnny Gaudreau’s sudden demise in August 2024 shook the NHL world to its very foundations. After all, who could’ve thought that a quaint bike ride with his brother would turn deadly for the NHL star? Now, six months removed from that tragedy, Columbus Blue Jackets and Chicago Blackhawks fans joined forces to give his son a memory of a lifetime.

When Johnny Gaudreau’s wife, Meredith Gaudreau, took her son to watch the Blue Jackets vs. Blackhawks game, she had no idea the surprise that was in store for them. The Blue Jackets announcer told the crowd that it was little Gaudreau Jr.’s first birthday, and urged them to sing ‘happy birthday’ for the one-year-old.

Meredith Gaudreau couldn’t hold back her tears as the entire stadium sang in unison. Little Johnny continued to make appearances on the jumbotron during the intermissions, attracting cheers each time. Sportsnet posted one such video reminding fans of the special tribute. “A special moment,” said the caster.

Meredith Gaudreau was overwhelmed. She even shared a clip of the “Heartwarming moment in Columbus during the TV timeout,” that the Spittin’ Chiclets posted on her Instagram story. “The best boy. The best momma. The best daddy. The best girl,” Mrs. Gaudreau wrote in the caption. It didn’t stop at just one post.

Meredith Gaudreau shared ESPN’s post, which captured the crowd chanting the late NHL forward’s nicknames during the game. Chants of ‘Johnny Hockey’ filled the stadium. “So emotional hearing this all around me,” wrote Mrs. Gaudreau. “Kept thinking how I can’t wait to show these videos to our kids one day,” added the late NHL star’s wife. Indeed, when little Johnny and his siblings grow up, they will get to hear lots of stories about what his father meant to the world of hockey.

In honor of Johnny Gaudreau

Thanks to his brace in Team USA’s opening game against the Finns, Brady Tkachuk was recognized as the player of the game by his teammates. That recognition came with something special — a USA jersey with the Gaudreau name and the iconic number 13 on it. The U.S. team had said time and again that they were playing the tournament in honor of Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew, and the jersey that was hung in the younger Tkachuk’s locker room stall was a reminder that every goal, every win would have the Gaudreau name written on it.

“Everywhere you go in that locker room, you see his jersey and that No. 13,” said Matthew Tkachuk ahead of the championship game against Canada. He and Gaudreau had spent six seasons as Calgary Flames teammates. “You get emotional because he should be here with us competing and playing for this country,” lamented Matthew Tkachuk.

And although Tkachuk missed his teammate, he remained a motivation for the team to give it their all in the final. “We don’t take this opportunity for granted, and he’s one of the big things we’re playing for right now… He’s with us, and he’s looking down on us,” Matthew Tkachuck said about his late teammate.

And even though they lost 3-2 in the final, they fought with grit until Connor McDavid scored the match-winning OT goal. And the gesture that Blue Jackets fans extended to his son proved that the love for Johnny Gaudreau hasn’t diminished even a bit.