Johnny Gaudreau's wife Meredith reacts to Team USA hanging Johnny's No. 13 in the locker room during the ongoing Worlds

Team USA has been honoring the memory of the late Johnny Gaudreau since the tragic death of the Gaudreau brothers last year in August. At the 2025 IIHF Men’s World Championship, they once again dedicated a locker stall in their dressing room to Gaudreau displaying his No. 13 jersey as if he were still part of the team.

On Thursday, Johnny Gaudreau's wife Meredith reposted a special click from a carousel of pictures posted by USA Hockey on Instagram. The photo featured Johnny’s iconic No. 13 hanging in the locker room.

In the caption, Meredith wrote:

“So much love,” followed by a hand heart emoji.

“All of mine,” she added.

Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew were fatally struck by a Jeep Grand Cherokee while cycling in Oldmans Township, New Jersey, last year on Aug. 29. The driver Sean M. Higgins admitted to consuming “five or six” beers before driving and failed both field sobriety and breathalyzer tests, with a blood alcohol content of 0.087.

He has been charged with two counts of death by auto, reckless driving and related offenses. Earlier this year in August, Higgins pled not guilty and turned down a 35-year plea deal. The next court hearing is scheduled for June 10.

Johnny Gaudreau's family reacts to his NHL Quarter-Century Team nomination

Earlier this month, Johnny Gaudreau was named to the NHL All Quarter-Century Team which honors the best players who began their NHL careers after 2010. Gaudreau played 11 seasons in the NHL, spending eight years with the Calgary Flames before joining the Blue Jackets in 2022.

His parents Guy and Jane Gaudreau released a joint statement from their family foundation's Instagram account after the news was announced. They mentioned how proud they were of Johnny’s achievement and that his legacy continues through the lives he touched and the values he stood for.

“We are overwhelmed with pride and emotion to see our son John named to the NHL All Quarter-Century Team. This honor recognizes his truly special talent. He so loved being with his teammates playing the game.”

“This honor from the NHL reminds us that while our boys may no longer be with us, their impact on the game and everyone who knew them lives on. We know John and Matthew are looking down with pride, and we are grateful for this lasting recognition,” they added.

Guy and Jane also mentioned that they will continue to support causes that Johnny and Matthew cared about and thanked the NHL, the Flames, the Blue Jackets and fans for keeping their memory alive.

About the author

Anjum is an NHL reporter at Sportskeeda with over five years of professional experience in the spectator sports industry. Raised in Bahrain, Anjum grew up close to the Formula 1 and GP2 scene, but it was ice-sports that she truly had a chance to play at school.

Anjum prioritizes thorough research, fact-checking and verification of sources when reporting, and has worked for Oil on Whyte, Leafs Herald, the Nation of Blaugrana, Barca International Cules, FromTheBend, Last Word On Sports and NASA.

She got interested in ice hockey after watching the “MVP” trilogy as a second grader and has not gotten over the sport yet. Her favorite player is Alex Ovechkin, whose legendary one-timers live rent free in her heart. The iconic moment when Ovechkin reached 800 career goals with a hat trick in Chicago as the away crowd chanted “Ovi, Ovi” is probably her happiest memory from an ice-rink.

When not enjoying the game, Anjum can be found sailing, star-mapping or collaborating with fellow citizen scientists at NASA.

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Edited by Anjum Rajonno