Gaudreau Family, Blue Jackets Kept Promise of Perpetuating John & Matthew’s Lasting Legacy

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One year later, it still doesn’t feel real.

It was on August 29, 2024 that the very foundation of the hockey world was shook to the core. On that day, the hockey world lost two of its brightest lights.

Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau were tragically killed while riding their bikes by a suspected drunk driver. They were home in New Jersey at the time to be a part of their sister’s wedding the next day.

The suspected drunk driver, Sean Higgins, was arrested as he was behind the wheel of a Jeep Grand Cherokee that struck the brothers. He failed a subsequent sobriety test at the scene. He currently remains in prison as he awaits trail. The next hearing is scheduled for September 18.

Meanwhile, the Gaudreau family and the entire hockey world had to somehow come to grips with what happened. Shock. Anger. Extreme sadness. Those were just some of the emotions that were being dealt with when trying to process everything.

When news spread around the world, tributes started pouring in. It was abundantly clear just how universally loved Johnny and Matthew were. They were family men first who had an abundance of love to share with everyone who knew them best.

While there was no playbook for how to handle a situation like this, one thing became clear to the Gaudreau family, the Blue Jackets and the rest of the hockey world. They were all going to do everything in their power to honor the legacies of John and Matthew.

Remembering Johnny & Matthew Gaudreau With Their Lasting Impact
Johnny & Matthew Gaudreau (The Hockey Writers)

One year later, everyone has kept their promise of keeping those legacies alive. Not only have those promises been kept during the year, they’re going to be kept indefinitely throughout several generations.

Need the definition of immeasurable strength? Just look at what the Gaudreau family, the Blue Jackets and the hockey world have done in the last year to ensure John and Matthew’s light continues to shine for everyone to see.

Promises Kept

At the funeral, the Rev. Tony Penna made a statement on the true impact that John and Matthew had. All anyone had to do was look around the church to see the scores of people in attendance.

“By the overwhelming presence and overwhelming number of people here today, they’re sending a message to you loud and clear that John and Matthew’s lives mattered, that they were noticed on this earth, they were loved on this earth and they were valued on this earth,” Penna said at the funeral.

Among those in attendance at the funeral that day were NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, current Montreal Canadien Cole Caufield, the entire Columbus Blue Jackets’ team as well as former Blue Jacket Patrik Laine along with several players and others from the league.

Then the profound words of Ed Morris, the father of Meredith Gaudreau, spoke to what would have made John and Matthew happy.

“John and Matty will be so happy if the world learned about how they lived their life and we all improved our lives as a result,” Morris said. From there, the work began to keep their legacies alive.

In October, the Gaudreau family shared their vision of making sure the legacies of John and Matthew were carried forward.

Jane Gaudreau, the mother of John and Matthew, said “They did so much good during their short lives. That, as a family we want to make sure that their legacy lives on.”

Katie Gaudreau, the sister of John and Matthew, said “They did so much good in such a short period of time and I just think we need to capitalize on that and keep going. That is what they would want. The goal is to just do as much good as we possibly can for my brothers.”

It is safe to say that the family kept their promise and capitalized. They have ensured that John and Matthew’s impact will be seen for years to come.

Immediate Impact

That impact was first seen in tributes around the world. Whether it was in Calgary or Columbus, at Hollydell rink or at Gloucester Catholic High school, at Boston College and elsewhere, fans came in mass to show their support for the Gaudreau family.

Then the family went to work to honor the brothers. It started locally with a couple of fundraisers to help two schools close to their heart in Gloucester Catholic and Archbishop Damiano School. Recall that Johnny donated $10,000 to Archbishop Damiano after his hat trick in the 2023 NHL All-Star Game.

Archbishop Damiano is a private school for students with disabilities. There was a need for a new adaptive playground on site that would take hundreds of thousands of dollars to fund. The Gaudreau family chose to honor the brother’s legacies by helping raise funds for this playground.

Thanks to the recent Gaudreau family 5K Walk/Run at Washington Lake Park, over $500,000 was raised to help fund the building of the playground. Coupled with other donations made in John and Matthew’s memory, enough funds were raised to meet the need. Groundbreaking is expected soon with the build tentatively scheduled to start this October.

While Jane and Kristen were at the center of this initiative, Meredith and Madeline were putting important work in on another project: The John and Matthew Gaudreau Foundation.

The Foundation launched in March to “honor the enduring legacy of John and Matty by supporting projects and initiatives that align with the values and passions that they championed.” Through donations and the selling of merchandise, funds raised go towards specific projects such as expanding youth hockey opportunities, providing support to hockey families dealing with tragedies and assisting families affected by drunk driving.

The Foundation was officially launched on Aug 13, the day that Johnny would have turned 32. Meredith and Madeline appeared on Good Morning America to announce the official launching.

Anyone can help support the mission of the John and Matthew Gaudreau Foundation by making a donation or by shopping for merchandise inspired by the brothers. Many families will be positively impacted because they will have access to much-needed support.

Other Promises Kept

There have been a lot of things done to keep the brother’s legacy alive. The Gaudreau family will continue to ensure their impact will help turn tragedy into positive contributions.

Meredith and Madeline each gave birth to a son in the last year. Carter Michael Gaudreau was born in April while Tripp Matthew was born in December. The families have said the children will grow up knowing how impactful their fathers were.

The Columbus Blue Jackets have also done numerous things to keep the legacy of the brothers alive. Here is a small listing of things they did throughout last season.

  • The Blue Jackets’ players wore a ’13’ patch on their jerseys and wore a blue sticker on their helmets displaying “Gaudreau” and doves between the numbers 13 and 21.
  • A ’13’ banner was lifted to the rafters at Nationwide Arena which had Johnny’s name on it.
  • A video montage was played at the home opener which included the family walking the blue carpet.
  • The home opener started with a “missing-man formation.” Johnny’s spot on the left wing was left empty and 13 game seconds came off the clock while silence was observed.
  • A memorial was setup inside Nationwide Arena for fans to see the impact that Johnny and Matthew had on the hockey world.
  • Inside their locker room, an empty stall was left for Johnny and his number 13 jersey hung there. Players would usually do postgame interviews near that stall.
  • The team ensured Johnny travelled on the road too with his jersey being prominently displayed on a stall in the road locker room.
  • Blue Jackets’ players constantly spoke of the impact Johnny and Matthew had. They shared stories and would constantly ask what would Johnny do?
  • Several road cities offered moments before the game to remember the brothers. There were some extended ones in Calgary (Johnny’s first NHL team) and in Philadelphia (The Gaudreau’s local team.)
  • The Blue Jackets, Flyers and others invited Guy Gaudreau on the ice with them at practices and morning skates.
  • The Blue Jackets invited Jane Gaudreau on the mother’s trip in Detroit. Head coach Dean Evason escorted her to center ice for the team photo.
  • The Gaudreau family led the Blue Jackets out to Ohio Stadium at the Stadium Series.
  • Meredith Gaudreau presented Sean Monahan with the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy. She also announced the Blue Jackets’ first-round pick at the 2025 NHL Draft. It was a moment Jackson Smith will never forget.

The Blue Jackets will continue to honor the brothers indefinitely. Captain Boone Jenner told the Hockey Writers this week that Johnny will always be with them everywhere.

“For us, for myself and my teammates, there’s not a day goes by that we don’t honor and remember him,” Jenner said. “We constantly talk about him and his stories and what would Johnny do. We’ll continue to do that. He’ll always be a part of our team. He’ll always be in that locker room with us, away from the rink with us, everywhere with us.” 

There were plenty of other examples too showing the brother’s legacy being remembered. Cole Caufield switched his number from 22 to 13 to honor his hero Johnny. The Flames warmed up wearing number 13 jerseys. Team U.S.A. wore decals with the names and numbers of the brothers. They have put Johnny’s Men’s National Team jersey over the IIHF World Championship trophy after winning for the first time in 92 years. Boston College held moments of silence to honor the brothers. And Hollydell Ice Arena renamed one of the rinks the “John and Matthew Gaudreau Rink” to remember their local impact.

Again, this is a small sampling of some of the ways the Gaudreau brothers have been honored and remembered. No matter which memory sticks out to you most, the theme is the same. The Gaudreau family, the Blue Jackets and others promised to keep their memories and legacies alive. One year later, there is no question everyone has done that.

Pain Still Heavy

Friday will be a hard day for many people. The pain of the tragedy still exists. Jenner said it best when describing what was truly inspiring in all of this.

“But the truly inspiring thing is Meredith and Madeline and the Gaudreau family, what they’ve done to help other people and communities,” Jenner said. “They did the 5k, but Meredith and Madeline and everything that they’ve gone through and how they’ve handled it is just truly inspiring every day. Now they have the John and Matt Foundation. It’s extremely going to be so powerful. And knowing that it’s going to help so many kids and families in Johnny and Matty’s name, just truly inspiring. When I look at them and Johnny’s kids, that’s real strength.”

Jenner couldn’t have said it better. Real strength. What the Gaudreau family has had to endure in the last year is almost unfathomable. Yet, the family found the strength to endure thanks to the overwhelming support of the community and the hockey world.

That strength has led to today and all the different ways that Johnny and Matthew are being remembered. They may be gone but they will never be forgotten.

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They say the true sign of love and respect is what other people say about someone. Just look at what has been said about John and Matthew. What stands out? They were family men. They were men who loved passionately. Their example has touched the lives of countless people in the world.

Thanks to the prevailing memories of John and Matthew, countless lives have been improved by thinking of them, learning from them and emulating their example.

It was always their love that stood out the most. On this one-year anniversary of the tragedy, let’s focus on their example of love and how many lives it will eventually transform.

Thanks to the tireless work of the Gaudreau family, the Blue Jackets and many others keeping their promise, Johnny and Matthew’s legacy shines brighter than ever. Let that give you a reason to smile today.

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