(Photo : Kirk Irwin/Getty Images) COLUMBUS, OHIO – JANUARY 2: Johnny Gaudreau #13 of the Columbus Blue Jackets warms up prior to the start of the game against the Boston Bruins at Nationwide Arena on January 2, 2024 in Columbus, Ohio
Meredith Gaudreau, widow of the late Columbus Blue Jackets player, Johnny Gaudreau, shared news of her third pregnancy at the memorial service for him and his brother Matthew Gaudreau on Monday.
“John and I had the best six months as a family of four. These will forever be the best six months of my life,” Meredith Gaudreau said at the service. “There’s specifically one week that I will cherish forever — it will be my favorite week of my life out of those six months. We’re actually a family of five. I’m in my ninth week of pregnancy with our third baby.”
Gaudreau and his younger brother, Matthew Gaudreau, were killed on Aug. 29 when an alleged drunk driver crashed into them while they were riding their bikes along in Oldmans Township, New Jersey. The brothers were due to stand as groomsmen at their sister Katie’s wedding the day after their deaths. The ceremony, where Katie was to marry hockey player Devin Joyce, was scheduled to take place in Gloucester City, New Jersey.
Johnny was 31 years old. Matthew was 29 years old. Johnny was a dad to his two children — Noa, who turns 2 in October, and Johnny, 7 months. Matthew and his wife, Madeline, were also expecting a child before his tragic death. Madeline is due on New Year’s Eve.
“The moment we found out about our son, Trip, it consumed his every day,” Madeline said at the memorial. “He was downloading apps, ordering books, finding the best diaper brands. Making sure I had the best vitamin and asking for tips from John.”
In a statement after Johnny’s death, the Blue Jackets said, “Johnny played the game with great joy which was felt by everyone that saw him on the ice. He brought a genuine love for hockey with him everywhere he played from Boston College to the Calgary Flames to Team USA to the Blue Jackets. He thrilled fans in a way only Johnny Hockey could. The impact he had on our organization and our sport was profound, but pales in comparison to the indelible impression he made on everyone who knew him.”
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