Johnny Gaudreau’s wife Meredith drops three-word message as Blue Jackets' Sean Monahan wins Masterson Trophy 

On Thursday, the NHL announced Sean Monahan as the winner of the Masterton Trophy, which honors perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey. The award was presented to him at his home near Toronto, where he was surprised by Meredith Gaudreau.

She flew in and brought the trophy with her, buckled into the seat next to her. Monahan’s wife, Brittany, helped plan the surprise by telling him they were taking family photos.

On Friday, Meredith Gaudreau shared a quiet but meaningful message after Sean Monahan won the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy. She posted the NHLPA’s announcement on Instagram and added just three words:

“Monny and Johnny.”

image via instagram@meredithgaudreau_

Those words by Meredith show the deep friendship between her late husband, Johnny Gaudreau, and Sean Monahan. The two played nine seasons together with the Calgary Flames and became close friends over the years.

Last summer, Monahan signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets to reunite with Johnny. But that plan didn't bear fruition after Johnny and his younger brother, Matthew, were killed in August by an alleged drunk driver while riding bicycles near their home. Johnny was 31 years old, and Matthew was 29.

Monahan dedicated his season to Johnny and quietly led by example. He played 54 games, recorded 57 points, and helped Columbus improve by 13 wins and 23 points compared to the previous season. The Blue Jackets just missed the playoffs by two points.

A $2,500 donation was made in Monahan’s name to the Bill Masterton Scholarship Fund. The other finalists were Marc-Andre Fleury and Gabriel Landeskog, but Monahan’s season stood out for more than just points.

Meredith Gaudreau says Sean Monahan deserves this moment

Johnny Gaudreau’s wife, Meredith Gaudreau, said this moment mattered because of how close Sean and Johnny were.

“You don’t hear John’s name without thinking of Sean,” she said. “And you don’t hear Sean’s name without thinking of John.”

She thanked Monahan for standing by her during a difficult year, showing up for tributes, and supporting her through public memorials:

“When I was asked to be part of this surprise, I was so honored, so excited. Sean stood by my side for every tribute, every walkout and I dragged him out there with me to cry on national television so many times, but I'm excited about this one because this one celebrates Sean."

Sean Monahan was touched by the surprise and said it meant a lot to him.

“John knows I don’t like the spotlight,” he said. “He’s probably watching... and laughing at me.”

He added that winning the trophy was a big honor and something he would reflect on for a long time.