The USA vs. Canada Four Nations gold medal hockey game took place in Boston Massachusetts on Thursday night, as the fans in attendance paid tribute to long-time national team player Johnny Gaudreau, and his brother Matthew, who were the victims of a drunk driving fatal accident last year.
Videos by FanBuzz
The crowd at TD Garden celebrated the legacy of Johnny, as 1980 'miracle on ice' captain, Mike Eruzione, was seen repping the #13 Gaudreau jersey.
Mike Eruzione comes out in a Johnny Gaudreau jersey and the crowd EXPLODES 🔥 pic.twitter.com/XgbBKU1zID
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) February 21, 2025
Then during the championship game, "Johnny hockey" chants were heard across the arena.
USA fans chant “Johnny Hockey” in honor of the late Johnny Gaudreau, an American hockey star who was struck and killed, along with his brother, by an alleged drunk driver earlier this year. pic.twitter.com/G7q3LgOQU8
— Nate Foy (@foymeetsworld) February 21, 2025
Johnny's wife, Meredith Gaudreau, who was in the stands watching, expressed how it felt to receive the outpour of love and support from all the fans.
So emotional hearing this all around me ♥️♥️♥️ Kept thinking how I can’t wait to show these videos to our kids one day https://t.co/WdP6lHzXS0
— Meredith Gaudreau (@mergaudreau13) February 21, 2025
Current players talked about how they were playing in honor of their beloved teammate.
Matthew Tkachuk's answer to @PKSubban1's question about playing for Johnny Gaudreau 🇺🇸#4Nations pic.twitter.com/Mn569rgn4E
— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) February 21, 2025
Star player Matthew Tkachuk spoke on this ahead of the game.
Matthew Tkachuk on Team USA playing in honor of Johnny Gaudreau:
“You get emotional, because he should be here with us — competing and playing for his country. And we don't take this opportunity for granted. ... He's with us. He's looking down on us." pic.twitter.com/r5VO9yz2aW
— Conor Ryan (@ConorRyan_93) February 19, 2025
"Everywhere you go in that locker room, you see his jersey and that No. 13. You get emotional because he should be here with us competing and playing for this country," Tkachuk said. "We don't take this opportunity for granted, and he's one of the big things we're playing for right now."
"He's here in spirit. The biggest thing I took away from playing with and getting to know Johnny is how much fun he had playing the game of hockey. The greatest way to honor him, outside of winning, is to enjoy every second"
- Chris Kreider on Johnny Gaudreau pic.twitter.com/dQoX3SItSx
— Rangers Videos (@SNYRangers) February 12, 2025
Notably, Johnny Gaudreau will forever be highly regarded as one of the greats, as he holds the record for most points (43) in U.S. history at the IIHF World Championships.
Canada ended up winning 3-2 in overtime in the North American final, after the Americans won 3-1 in Game 1.
