Everything to know about US Olympic ice hockey inspiration Johnny Gaudreau
· Yahoo Sports
The late Johnny Gaudreau was there in spirit in Milan on Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026 as the USA men's hockey team beat Canada, 2-1, in overtime to claim the country's first gold medal since the "Miracle on Ice" in 1980.
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Team USA players paraded Gaudreau's No. 13 jersey around the ice during the postgame ceremony, honoring the former Boston College star who played 11 seasons in the NHL with the Calgary Flames and Columbus Blue Jackets.
Gaudreau and his brother Matthew died when they were hit by a drunk driver while cycling in New Jersey in August 2024 on the eve of their sister Katie's wedding.
Team USA also prominently displayed Gaudreau's jersey in their locker room at the Olympics as a tribute to a player known as "Johnny Hockey."
"It means everything — we all know he should be here with us," Dylan Larkin, who played with Gaudreau at multiple world championships, told the media in Italy in the lead-up to the gold medal-game. "He should be with us. We love him, and I like that we continue to think about him and I wouldn't imagine it any other way."
Gaudreau's parents, Jane and Guy Gaudreau, along with his widow, Meredith, and their two oldest children, were in attendance for the Olympic gold-medal game.
Did Johnny Gaudreau ever play for Team USA?
Gaudreau never suited up for Team USA at the Olympics, but he had extensive international experience, winning a world championship bronze medal in Denmark in 2018 and a world junior gold medal in Russia in 2013. At the latter, he led the tournament with seven goals and tied for the team lead with nine points. He last played for the U.S. at the 2024 IIHF World Championships in Czechia. He had 3 goals and 8 assists during the tournament, at which the U.S. finished fifth.
Where did Johnny Gaudreau play college hockey?
Gaudreau was a star at Boston College. He made an immediate impact as a freshman with 21 goals and 23 assists for 44 points in 44 games, leading the Eagles to a Beanpot crown (he was the MVP) and a national championship as BC beat Ferris State in the final.
As a sophomore he had a 21–30--51 scoring line in 35 games, and led the nation in points per game at 1.46. As a junior he had a 36-44--80 scoring line in 40 games, a 2.00 point-per-game pace, en route to winning the Hobey Baker Award as college hockey's top player.
How did Johnny Gaudreau do in the NHL?
Gaudreau logged 763 NHL games, recording 243 goals and 500 assists for 743 points. His best scoring season came in 2021-22, his last with Calgary, when he had 40 goals and 75 assists for 115 points. He had 33 total goals in his two seasons with Columbus.
When was the last time USA men's hockey won gold?
Team USA has now won gold three times - 1960 (Squaw Valley, California), 1980 (Lake Placid, New York) and now 2026 (Milan, Italy).
When was the last time USA men's ice hockey beat Canada at the Olympics?
Team USA last beat Canada at the 2022 Winter Olympics in the group stage. Both teams failed to medal.
With NHL players at the Olympics, Canada boasts a 4-2 edge in the series over USA. The US have now won 5 of the 20 meetings against Canada in Olympic play. In the other 15 matchups, USA has 10 regulation losses, 2 OT losses and 3 ties.
This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Everything to know about the late Johnny Gaudreau, who inspired USA Olympic hockey