Today’s one-year anniversary of the deaths of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau remained on the minds of the 44 USA Hockey players who took part in Team USA’s Olympic orientation camp at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, MI earlier this week.
NHL.com’s Bill Price spoke with many players at the rink regarding the Gaudreaus and the one-year anniversary of their passing, and Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin was blunt:
Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin wore a United States World Championship jersey at the Stadium Series. He was teammates with Johnny at Worlds in 2017 and 2018.
“I just wish them (the Gaudreau family) nothing but the best,” Larkin said. “I know that Friday is going to be hard, and it’s continued to be hard all year.”
Along those lines, however, Larkin and the Red Wings leadership’s decision to wear Gaudreau family jerseys to the Stadium Series last March remains a strong memory for the Columbus Blue Jackets’ family, and Larkin’s friend, Zach Werenski:
When the Blue Jackets played the Detroit Red Wings in the 2025 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series at Ohio Stadium on March 1, each team honored Johnny with their attire upon arrival. The Blue Jackets walked into St. John Arena for a pep rally wearing Johnny’s signature outfit — black Ugg boots, black sweatpants, light blue sweatshirt from Avalon Surf Shop in New Jersey and black AMIRI ballcap with three black stars in the front.
The Red Wings stepped off the bus in jerseys that Johnny and Matthew wore during their hockey careers. For Johnny, they represented Dubuque of the United States Hockey League, Boston College and USA Hockey; for Matthew, Omaha of the USHL and BC. Each had a Gaudreau nameplate and number on the back.
“I think the outpouring of support for the family, for [Gaudreau’s friend Sean Monahan], for our team, for all John’s friends and family, like, it was really incredible to see all the tributes, just the support that we had,” Werenski said. “I felt like, in a weird way, we could kind of feel the support from all teams across the League, all fan bases, just hockey in general.
“He’s a special person and deserves that. I mean, he was Johnny Hockey. I think what he did for the game of hockey, he was on pace to be one of the greatest Americans of all time. He is one of the greatest Americans of all time.”
Continued; may the Gaudreau family find peace, if only eventually. That’s all you can really hope for with grief–a sense of peace and as much closure as you’re going to get (which is never total closure).
It’s going to take time, as Dylan suggests here, and it’s gonna be hard for a while yet. But Johnny and Matthew’s memories are strong, and they always will be strong.
