The household referred to as him John. It wasn’t till John Gaudreau performed for Boston School that he picked up the “Johnny Hockey” nickname that adopted him by 11 seasons within the NHL.
His mom, Jane, gleefully recalled the “Johnny Hockey” T-shirts and sing-song chants BC followers bestowed on their beloved wizard on the ice.
At house in New Jersey, older brother Matthew, who additionally performed hockey for Boston School, and sisters Kristen and Katie couldn’t assist however tease their brother with the nickname as his reputation and All-Star profession grew by stops in Calgary and Columbus.
Calgary Flames ahead Matthew Tkachuk, proper, celebrates his purpose with teammate ahead Johnny Gaudreau throughout third interval NHL second spherical playoff hockey motion in Calgary, Alta., Wednesday, Might 18, 2022.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh
Take one evening in the course of the NHL Awards in Las Vegas, only one household story out of 1000’s of favorites, when Gaudreau tried to maintain a low public profile on a household outing. Katie wasn’t having it out on the Strip, shouting for all to listen to, “Johnny! Johnny Hockey!”
“I can see John’s face getting redder and redder and redder,” Jane Gaudreau stated with amusing. “You stroll down the road and nobody is aware of who you’re till Katie began making this entire huge factor.”
All the pieces was superb for the household after they gathered final August for Katie’s wedding ceremony. John and Matt had been the groomsmen and Kristen the maid of honour. What occurred subsequent, the hurricane of shock and grief that rippled from New Jersey by the center of the hockey group, has been well-documented over the past eight months.
The evening earlier than the marriage, John, 31, and Matt, 29, died after they had been hit by a suspected drunken driver whereas using bicycles within the Delaware River nation south of Philadelphia, leaving a household ceaselessly shattered, with not sufficient time to ever totally decide up all of the items.
They struggle.
From births to hockey tributes, by Instagram pages dotted with photographs from the household scrapbook and a brand new basis, to a playground fundraising effort on the household’s beloved college, the Gaudreaus have pushed by darkish days when even getting away from bed appeared not possible.
They pull by, pull collectively, simply as they did as a household of six in South Jersey, and attempt to deal with a easy mantra: Dwell their lives to the fullest in honour of Matt and John.
There may be extra hardship forward and darkish days are going to return and go. The driving force charged with killing the brothers, a person prosecutors described as having a historical past of alleged street rage and aggressive driving, nonetheless faces trial.
However as Jane Gaudreau particulars her dream of a brand new, adaptive playground for the particular training college students on the college the place she works, it’s the nice occasions that stir probably the most reminiscences.
The tales elevate the spirits of Jane, husband Man and numerous mates and teammates who went by their first hockey season in many years with out two males who gave a lot to their rising households and to the sport.
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“It’s nice to maintain their reminiscences alive,” stated their sister, Kristen Venello, who rocks her Blue Jackets hoodie as a speech assistant at Archbishop Damiano College.
“It’s unhappy. However you consider all the nice issues they did and that’s all you possibly can take into consideration. And the way a lot they may also help us nonetheless.”
The venture
Archbishop Damiano College was based in 1968 for youngsters with Down syndrome and now supplies providers for 125 college students with particular wants from ages 3 to 21. Jane Gaudreau’s brother attended the college and their mom labored there for 44 years.
Jane was employed in 1984 and remains to be a finance affiliate there. Kristen, the oldest daughter, has taught on the college for nearly twenty years. Katie used to help with the youngsters when she may and the 2 Gaudreau boys volunteered on the college after they weren’t enjoying hockey.
In dying, they will maybe go away a everlasting legacy at Damiano exterior household and hockey.
Kelsie Snow misplaced her husband, Chris, a former assistant normal supervisor with the Calgary Flames, in 2023 to Lou Gehrig’s illness. She referred to as Jane with a suggestion on the way to navigate life by perpetual grief: Maintain busy. Discover a venture. Jane and Man embraced the concept and looked for the proper one, till they realized the reply was proper there at Archbishop Damiano.
The Gaudreaus and the employees at Archbishop Damiano threw themselves into fundraising for a contemporary playground that enables for all the things from primary wheelchair accessibility to ramps and switch platforms for the scholars.
The Gaudreau Household 5K set for Might 31 is predicted to deliver wanted money to the initiative launched by principal Michele McCloskey in 2020.
Jane Gaudreau, mom of hockey gamers Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau who had been fatally struck by a motorist whereas using bicycles, poses for {a photograph} at Archbishop Damiano College in Westville, N.J., Wednesday, April 9, 2025.
AP Photograph/Matt Rourke
“I do know the boys could be happy with us,” Jane stated.
“Each boys liked kids, that’s why we thought the playground could be good.”
The Gaudreaus have one other, extra enduring venture forward of them as doting grandparents. Each widows have given delivery since their husbands died. Meredith, who revealed throughout her tearful eulogy for John in August that she was pregnant, gave delivery in April to the couple’s third little one, Carter Michael Gaudreau. Madeline delivered her and Matty’s first child, Tripp Matthew Gaudreau, in December.
Jane laughs when she describes how a lot the brand new additions resemble their fathers. Tripp has mild hair like his dad; Carter appears like huge sister Noa, they usually each seem like John.
“My husband retains saying this,” Jane stated, “‘I feel God despatched us John and Matty again.”
The street forward
Man and Jane, married 42 years, virtually by no means exit to dinner, overwhelmed by emotions of guilt over having fun with themselves, and people feelings additionally run deep with Katie. She advised her mother, sure, she needed to marry her fiancé, Devin Joyce, however wasn’t positive a giant wedding ceremony was the best way to go. Jane stated she merely advised her there was no flawed choice, however to let the craze and disappointment settle and take as a lot time as obligatory decide.
The couple finally rescheduled their wedding ceremony for July 11. Katie wrote on her Instagram put up, “I suppose this 12 months has taught me to have a good time our love on a regular basis, each minute.”
“You recognize the boys, they’ll be there with us that day,” Jane stated. “They’d need you to have enjoyable.”
Jane added with resolve, “This man already took two of a very powerful issues away from us. Don’t let him take away your wedding ceremony.”
Legacy of laughter
The 5K has crammed its allotment of 1,000 runners for race day at a New Jersey park however anybody can contribute from house as a digital participant. Greater than 700 individuals have already signed up, from New Jersey to Canada to Eire, keen to assist the trigger, which incorporates an internet memorabilia public sale that stretches past hockey, with all proceeds donated towards the playground effort and its $600,000 purpose.
The present playground doesn’t meet the wants of its college students in its present form, there are gaping holes within the turf and the swings and slides weren’t designed for youngsters with disabilities. If the purpose is met, the college hopes to interrupt floor this fall and full the venture subsequent spring.
It appears trite to name it a silver lining however the household has searched in useless to seek out some that means, some good out of the mindless deaths.
Columbus Blue Jackets’ Sean Monahan, left, and Calgary Flames’ Mikael Backlund be a part of the household of Johnny Gaudreau at centre ice earlier than first interval NHL hockey motion in Calgary on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh
In order that they’ll run.
For John. For Matt. For a trigger the boys so robustly supported in life.
“It’s not the best way I’d wish to construct the playground, in fact,” Jane stated. “I are likely to consider they’ll be up there, having the ability to take heed to the kids’s laughter.
“They’ll simply actually love the truth that the kids may have a playground to play in.”
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