United States Men’s Hockey Team Honors Johnny Gaudreau At Milan Cortina Olympics - Beritaja

The U.S. men’s crystal lucky squad is playing for much than conscionable a golden badge astatine the Milan Cortina Olympics.

Inside the team’s locker room astatine Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena, a jersey pinch the number 13 hangs proudly, honoring the precocious American lucky subordinate and NHL prima Johnny Gaudreau.

Gaudreau, 31, who played for the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Calgary Flames, and his brother, Matthew Gaudreau, 29, were fatally struck by an alleged drunk driver while they were bicycling successful New Jersey successful August of 2024. They were killed the nighttime earlier their sister’s wedding. The abrupt calamity sent shockwaves done the lucky community, pinch tributes pouring successful from teammates, coaches and fans crossed the NHL.

Gaudreau played for Team USA successful six different world events, including 5 International Ice Hockey Federation Men’s World Championships, tallying 43 points successful 40 games, the about points successful USA men’s IIHF history. Gaudreau was considered a beardown contender to make the U.S. Olympic team.

The Gaudreau family put retired a connection connected societal media up of the men’s Olympic lucky tourney successful Milan, which expressed their “heartache knowing really overmuch this infinitesimal meant to John.”

The family described Gaudreau’s desire to correspond Team USA. “In that last summer, John was training harder than ever, pinch his dad, pushing himself to beryllium successful the champion style of his life. He was wished to gain his spot connected that Olympic roster,” the Gaudreau family said.

“While it breaks our hearts that John won’t beryllium location to unrecorded retired that dream, we cognize he will beryllium truthful very coming pinch Team USA and each of his adjacent friends competing passim these games,” the family said.

The family added a connection of support for Gaudreau’s erstwhile teammates.

“Go Team USA. We cognize John and Matty are watching pinch pride.”

Gaudreau’s teammates expressed a akin sentiment.

Gaudreau's jersey hangs successful the U.S. men's nationalist squad locker room astatine the Milan olympics. via NBC Philadelphia

“We cognize he’s present pinch us, cheering america connected and rooting for us,” said alternate skipper Matthew Tkachuk. “He’s sewage his ain area successful the locker room and it’s ever bully to spot that arsenic a reminder,” he added.

Teammate Zach Werenski played pinch Gaudreau connected the Columbus Blue Jackets from 2022 -2024.

“I cognize really overmuch Johnny wanted to beryllium present for the Four Nations and the Olympics,” he said.

Gaudreau and Werenski represented Team USA together successful the 2024 men’s World Championship.

“It’s ace typical to spot his jersey hanging, and we’re playing for him and trying to make him proud,” he added.

U.S. men’s lucky squad caput coach — and existent caput coach of the NHL’s New York Rangers — Mike Sullivan acknowledged what Johnny’s bequest intends to the team.

“We did it successful the Four Nations tourney a twelvemonth ago, and we’re carrying that jersey pinch america present successful Milan,” he said.

“The truth that our squad is celebrating him passim this tourney conscionable speaks volumes to the characteristic and the personification that Johnny was,” he said. “I cognize really overmuch he meant to a batch of the guys successful that room.”