How do you begin to articulate the seismic shock of Gaudreaus’ absence in our Philadelphia and South Jersey communities? How do you begin to capture the essence of Johnny and Matthew’s lives?
The hockey community is in disbelief, but we stand together in this moment of loss. The loss of Johnny and Matthew is too heavy to bear, but we find strength in our unity. This is life at its most cruel. Two lives full of promise have been extinguished due to someone else’s recklessness.
While I could detail their numerous hockey triumphs, I’d like to start with what they were most proud of their essence.
Johnny Gaudreau, 31, was a proud husband to his wife Meredith Gaudreau, with whom he had two beautiful children. His Daughter Noa and son Johnny.
Johnny grew up in Carneys Point Township in Salem County and attended Gloucester Catholic High School in Gloucester City. After high school, Johnny attended Boston College.
Matthew Gaudreau, 29, was a loving husband to his wife, Madeline Gaudreau. The couple was expecting, and a GoFundMe has been set up in support of Madeline and baby Tripp.
Matthew, also known as Johnny, grew up in Carneys Point Township in Salem County and attended Gloucester Catholic High School in Gloucester City. Matthew also attended Boston College.
The two brothers played at the Hollydell Ice Arena in Sewell, where they both grew up skating. Matt recently also coached at the rink—the community made a memorial outside the rink honoring Johnny and Matty.
Johnny, the eldest of the brothers, played hockey for Boston College, and in his first year, he won the National Championship in 2012. After three seasons and being drafted by the Calgary Flames in the fourth round of the 2011 NHL Entry Level Draft, Johnny played nine seasons for the Flames before signing with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Johnny played 763 games in his career, making seven all-sta appearances. There was a reason why Johnny was given the nickname “Johnny Hockey.”
There are few National Hockey leagues in the South Jersey/Philadelphia area. Johnny was an inspiration to many in the region. Everyone knew the name “Johnny Gaudreau” and cheered for him regardless of what team he was on. Johnny, along with Matty, grew up as a Flyers fan, and everyone wanted to see the hometown legend wear orange and black. Either way, everyone was proud to see him become the superstar he will forever be in the NHL.
Johnny was a great player on the ice and an even better person off the ice. Johnny supported the 43 Oak Foundation, which spread education through ice hockey for underprivileged and diverse youth around the NYC metropolitan areas. Johnny also remembered his hometown by having the Johnny Gaudreau Scholarship Golf Tournament, which raised money toward scholarships at Gloucester Catholic High School. Johnny did a lot for Calgary.
During his rookie season, Johnny contacted the KidSport Society of Calgary. This charity helped low-income families cover registration and equipment costs for young athletes. Johnny donated $1,000 for every goal he scored that season as the Calgary Flames Foundation matched each of Johnny’s donations.
In his rookie season, Johnny scored 24 goals, and with the match of the Flames, there was a hefty $48,000 donation made for KidSport. Besides donations, Johnny would often be involved with the kids in the program, where he made a huge impact as he got them a club box to play games and hung out with them. Johnny also did a lot at the Alberta Children’s Hospital as well.
Matty played at Boston College from 2013 to 2017. Following his time at Boston College, Matthew went on to play five seasons of hockey with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, AHL affiliate of the New York Islanders, Worcester Railers, ECHL affiliate of the New York Islanders, Stockton Heat, who were formally the AHL affiliate of the Calgary Flames, Tyringe SoSS, and was able to play for the Reading Royals who were the ECHL affiliate of his hometown team, the Philadelphia Flyers.
After hanging up his skates playing professional hockey, Matty returned to his roots to coach the boy’s hockey team at Gloucester Catholic H.S. in New Jersey for the past two seasons.
Both of these lives made a major impact on the community—an impact that will be heavily missed, remembered, and won’t ever be forgotten. Many people are hurting: players, teammates, friends, and, most importantly, their families. The hockey community thinks of Johnny and Matthew’s families during this time.
