Team USA inspired by Gaudreau’s legacy as it enters Olympic semifinal

MILAN -- Johnny Gaudreau’s No. 13 jersey continues to hang in the Team USA locker room, and the Americans continue to use present tense at times to refer to him as they compete at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.

“He provides a lot of inspiration for all of us with how he lived his life, his dedication to the game, his family,” coach Mike Sullivan said. “He’s just a good person on the ice and off the ice, and I think he’s an inspiration to our players to this very day.”

Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew, died Aug. 29, 2024 -- the night before they were to attend the wedding of their sister, Katie -- when they were riding bicycles near their home in Salem County, New Jersey, and struck by a car. An alleged drunk driver has been charged with two counts of death by auto.

Johnny was 31. Matthew was 29.

The Americans hung Johnny’s jersey in their locker room at the 4 Nations Face-Off last season and then the 2025 IIHF World Championship in Denmark, where they won gold.

In Milan, Johnny's jersey hangs above a banner displaying Johnny’s No. 13 and Matthew’s No. 21 from Boston College. Team USA plays Team Slovakia in the semifinals Friday (3:10 p.m. ET; Peacock, NBC, ICI Tele, CBC Gem, CBC [JIP], TSN [JIP], RDS2).

“It’s amazing,” defenseman Noah Hanifin said. “Johnny was close to a lot of guys in that room. You know he’d be here with us. We’ve been thinking about him and carrying him with us, so just excited to go out and keep winning and doing it for him.”

Johnny represented his country multiple times. He led the tournament with seven goals when the U.S. won gold at the 2013 IIHF World Junior Championship in Russia, and he helped the U.S. win bronze at the 2018 IIHF World Championship in Denmark.

He had 742 points (242 goals, 500 assists) in 763 games for the Calgary Flames and Columbus Blue Jackets from 2014-24.

From the start of 2014-15, his first full NHL season, though 2023-24, he ranked second among U.S.-born players to Patrick Kane, who had 791 points (293 goals, 498 assists) in 715 games for the Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers and Detroit Red Wings.

“Johnny Hockey,” as he was known, would have been 32 today.

“I would expect he would [have been on the Olympic team], with his body of work and how he participated for wearing the Team USA jersey on so many different levels,” Sullivan said. “He was one of America’s very best.”

The Gaudreau family posted a statement on social media Feb. 6 that said representing the U.S. at the Olympics was one of Johnny’s greatest dreams.

“In that final summer, John was training harder than ever, with his dad, pushing himself to be in the best shape of his life,” the family wrote. “He was determined to earn his spot on that Olympic roster.

“While it breaks our hearts that John won’t be there to live out that dream, we know he will be so very present with Team USA and all of his close friends competing throughout these games.”

He is.

“Johnny’s an incredible player and person,” forward Brock Nelson said. “I think he brought a smile and just had a great attitude about him and brought a presence that everyone just enjoyed being around him. …

“Obviously, it’s tragic what happened. To honor the family is probably the least thing we could do to honor somebody who probably would have been here.”