MILAN — Nearly 16,000 fans packed into Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena for Team USA’s semifinal win over Slovakia on Friday as the Americans punched their ticket to the gold-medal game against Canada on Sunday, Feb. 22.
But the team’s biggest supporter had the best seat in the house. After the USA’s 6-2 rout of Slovakia at the 2026 Winter Olympics, U.S. defenseman Charlie McAvoy said the late Johnny Gaudreau is ‘looking down on us right now. I’m sure he’s smiling as we’re getting ready to play for a gold medal.’
Gaudreau has provided inspiration for the U.S. men’s hockey team in its undefeated Olympic run, a team that Gaudreau likely would be part of if not for his tragic death. Gaudreau and his brother Matthew Gaudreau were struck and killed by a suspected drunk driver while cycling in New Jersey on Aug. 29, 2024.
Gaudreau was 31. Matthew Gaudreau was 29.
The U.S. men’s national team has kept Gaudreau’s memory alive. They hung his No. 13 jersey in the locker room in Milan, continuing a tradition that dates to last year’s 4 Nations Face-Off and the 2025 world championships.
‘He was a friend, a teammate to a lot of these guys. And the fact that our team is celebrating him throughout this tournament just speaks volumes for the character of the person that Johnny was,’ head coach Mike Sullivan said. ‘I know how much he meant to a lot of the guys in that room.’
McAvoy credited the team’s staff for making Gaudreau’s presence known throughout the tournament.
‘Our trainers really have … done a great job of hanging up Johnny’s jersey and keeping little reminders of him around in the room and with this group,’ McAvoy said. ‘Everything … has always had a touch of winning it for him and I think his family will be in there saying the same thing right now. So I’m really excited that we get a chance to do that, not only for ourselves, but for him.’
Gaudreau’s family was in attendance of Team USA’s semifinal win on Friday, a moment the family described as bittersweet. Ahead of the 2026 Games, his family shared that ‘representing Team USA at the Olympics was one of (Gaudreau) greatest dreams.’
“In that final summer, John was training harder than ever, with his dad, pushing himself to be in the best shape of his life. He was determined to earn his spot on that Olympic roster,’ the family wrote in a statement shared on X. “While it breaks our hearts that John won’t be there to live out that dream, we know he will be so very present with Team USA and all of his close friends competing throughout these games.”
Zach Werenski, who played with Gaudreau on the Columbus Blue Jackets, said his friend probably ‘would’ve been here’ on the team, pointing to Gaudreau’s international resume. Gaudreau led Team USA to a gold medal at the 2013 world junior championships in Russia with seven goals, the most in the tournament. He took bronze with the U.S. men’s national team at the 2018 world championships in Denmark.
‘I know how bad he wanted this,’ said Werenski. ‘He played in a number of world championships hoping for an opportunity for best on best. … So it’s super special to see his jersey hanging and we’re playing for him and trying to make him proud.’
An Olympic gold medal, the American men’s first since 1980, is on the line against Canada, and Werenski said the team will be fighting to ‘make (Gaudreau) proud.’
Reach USA TODAY National Women’s Sports Reporter Cydney Henderson at chenderson@gannett.com and follow her on X at@CydHenderson.
The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.