Johnny Gaudreau’s Teammates Come for His Daughter’s 2nd Birthday Party After His Death: ‘Forever Be Family’

Mar. 15, 2025

Photo:Meredith Gaudreau/Instagram

Meredith Gaudreau/Instagram

Johnny Gaudreau’sColumbus Blue Jacketsteammates all showed up to support his widowMeredithand their two-year-old daughter Noa after the NHL star’s tragic death.

Among the images Meredith posted was a group shot of the Blue Jackets team all standing along large signage that read, “Happy 2nd Birthday Noa.”

Over the image, Meredithwroteon her Instagram Story, “We love you all. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

Meredith Gaudreau IG Story.Meredith Gaudreau/Instagram

Noa’s second birthday party was farm-themed and included animal decorations and printed-out photographs of Noa with her late father.

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The Blue Jackets organization has continued to find ways to honor their late star and his brother since their untimely deaths. The team announced on Sept. 19 that its players will wear stickers on their helmets and patches on their uniforms honoring Johnny throughout the NHL season.

“The sticker is blue with gray trim and features GAUDREAU, two doves between the numbers 13, which Johnny wore throughout his career, and 21, which Matthew wore at Boston College, in white,” the teamsaidin a release.

Blue Jackets players also said recently that they’llcontinue to set up Johnny’s lockerbefore every game this season — home and away.

Johnny Gaudreau.Jason Mowry/Getty

Jason Mowry/Getty

Head coach Dean Evason told ESPN that the team will also keep Johnny in clips of the team when they’re preparing for games. “With our videos we put together for camp, one of the coaches asked, do we take Johnny out of all of the clips?” Evason said, according toESPN.

“I said ‘Absolutely not.’ Johnny is going to teach. Good and bad. If he didn’t back check, we’ll show it. He’s going to be with us. He’s going to be a presence.”

Johnny and Matt Gaudreauwere killedon the eve of their sisterKatie Gaudreau’s wedding when a suspected drunk driver hit the brothers, who were riding their bicycles.

Johnny, an 11-year NHL star with the Calgary Flames and the Columbus Blue Jackets, was 31. Matthew, a former NCAA hockey star with Boston College who became an assistant head coach for their high school hockey team in recent years, was 29.

source: people.com