Gaudreau's widow shares heartfelt thoughts in Father's Day tribute
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The piece, which was published on The Players' Tribune on Thursday, also revealed her initial reaction to learning about the tragedy that befell Johnny and his brother Matthew Gaudreau last August.
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The brothers, who were in their hometown of Salem, N.J., for their sister's wedding, were biking on the evening of Aug. 29, 2024, in nearby Oldmans Township when they were mowed down by a vehicle that was allegedly being operated by an impaired driver.
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'Katie (Gaudreau) called and she said something had happened, but she didn't know what exactly. My dad drove me over to your parents and I was thinking the whole time about how I was going to help you through whatever it could be that had happened to Matty. And then I walked up the front porch and learned the absolute worst had happened and that it was both of you,' Meredith wrote as if addressing a letter to Johnny.
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'I was in shock. I was keeled over for days sick to my stomach. It's completely indescribable. The only person who can relate to me is my own sister-in-law. I see her and my heart breaks for her. I'm sick for her.
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'We had just celebrated their gender reveal. We were all just down the shore together and had so much fun. Matty made me laugh so much that weekend.
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'I thought of our baby inside of me. I couldn't stand up. I was awake and having nightmares. Thinking of you in that moment. Thinking of Matty. It's just the worst thing I could have ever imagined.
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In the touching tribute, Meredith also shares stories about meeting the former Flames star, their wedding and the family's move to Columbus, Ohio, after he signed with the Blue Jackets before the 2022-23 season.
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an hour ago
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FILE — Jane Gaudreau, mother of hockey players Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau, who were fatally struck by a motorist while riding bicycles, poses for a portrait at Archbishop Damiano School in Westville, N.J., Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File) PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The first 5K held in the memory of John and Matt Gaudreau helped raise more than $500,000, enough to break ground later this year on an accessible playground at the special education school where the hockey players' mother works. Thousands attended the Gaudreau Family 5K Walk /Run and Family Day in May at Washington Lake Park in southern New Jersey, a place John and Matthew went hundreds of times as kids and around the corner from Hollydell Ice Arena, where they started playing hockey. The 5K drew more than 1,100 participants in the walk, along with more than 1,100 virtually in the U.S., Canada and around the world. From money raised in the walk, along with contributions made in memory of John and Matt, the financial goal was met for the planned accessible playground at Archbishop Damiano School, where Jane Gaudreau and her daughter Kristen work. It was a cause John and Matthew had begun to champion in honour of their grandmother Marie, who spent 44 years at the school and died in 2023. Groundbreaking is scheduled for late August/early September, with Oct. 4 tentatively set for the start of a community build. After a brief scare of a tornado watch the night before, the 5K went off without a hitch. 'Because of the rain, we had so many people we thought might not show up,' Gaudreau said. 'But I felt like it was such a great turnout. So many people asked us if we're going to do it again next year. It's just such an outpouring of love and care, so much for the boys in our family.' To answer the question, yes: The next Gaudreau Family 5K Walk is tentatively scheduled for May 16, 2026. The Gaudreau brothers — John played 10 full seasons in the NHL with Calgary and Columbus — were killed last August on the eve of their sister's wedding when they were hit by a suspected drunken driver while riding bicycles in their home state of New Jersey. The playground initiative was launched by principal Michele McCloskey in October 2020. Raising the necessary funds over the last five years had been a slow build. So many friends from the hockey world and others now inspired by the brothers and the cause have since rallied around the effort. 'We heard so much from everyone how much they appreciated everything (the brothers) did for the community, and so they turned around and helped us out,' Gaudreau said. 'We heard a lot of nice stories, a lot of people were just so generous, just wanting to be there for our family and whatever they could do to keep John and Matty's legacy alive, which is what we wanted from the playground and to go forward from here.' The Gaudreaus and the staff at Archbishop Damiano threw themselves into fundraising for a modern playground that allows for everything from basic wheelchair accessibility to ramps and transfer platforms for the students. Students tacked their wish list for the playground to the walls inside the school. The 5K event also included an online memorabilia auction that stretched beyond hockey, with all proceeds donated toward the playground effort and its original $600,000 goal. The new area for the playground has been staked out, and the equipment has been ordered, yet there is still work ahead. The Gaudreaus and the school needed everything from 175 tons of crushed concrete to beach sand to other construction materials to complete the project. 'It's just planning out our community build, which we'll need assistance on,' Gaudreau said. Archbishop Damiano School was founded in 1968 for children with Down syndrome and now provides services for 125 students with special needs from ages 3 to 21. Jane Gaudreau's brother attended the school, and their mother worked there. Jane was hired in 1984 and is still a finance associate. Kristen, the older daughter, has taught at the school for almost two decades. Katie, the younger daughter, who got married in July, used to assist with the kids when she could, and the two Gaudreau boys volunteered at the school when they weren't playing hockey. ___ AP NHL: Dan Gelston, The Associated Press
