The 4 Nations Face-Off final was an explosive end to a strong tournament, with Team Canada defeating Team USA in overtime. In the midst of the action, there was a touching moment in which fans honored former NHL player Johnny Gaudreau, who was killed last August after being struck by a car.
First, honorary Team USA captain Mike Eruzione was introduced while wearing a Gaudreau Team USA jersey.
MIKE ERUZIONE IS TEAM USA’S HONORARY CAPTAIN 🇺🇸🥇 pic.twitter.com/QnyTKk3OZI
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) February 21, 2025
Then, fans in the arena chanted “Johnny Hockey” during the game to honor Gaudreau. Meredith Gaudreau, Johnny’s wife, expressed her gratitude to the fans on social media.
“So emotional hearing this all around me,” she said. “Kept thinking how I can’t wait to show these videos to our kids one day.”
So emotional hearing this all around me ♥️♥️♥️ Kept thinking how I can’t wait to show these videos to our kids one day https://t.co/WdP6lHzXS0
— Meredith Gaudreau (@mergaudreau13) February 21, 2025
Here’s a look back at what happened to Gaudreau and what he meant to the hockey community.
Why were there ‘Johnny Hockey’ chants at 4 Nations Face Off?
Team USA fans chanted “Johnny Hockey” during the 4 Nations Face-Off final to honor Johnny Gaudreau, who was often known by that nickname. The former Blue Jackets star and New Jersey native was killed in August along with his brother by a drunk driver.
While Gaudreau made a name for himself in the NHL, he first rose to prominence at Boston College. With the 4 Nations final being played at TD Garden in Boston, fans that watched and loved Gaudreau in college got a chance to honor him for the first time since the tragedy.
What happened to Johnny Gaudreau?
On Aug. 29, 2024, Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew, were bicycling in southern New Jersey when they were hit by a drunk driver. Both men were pronounced dead when police arrived to the scene, and their deaths were announced the following morning.
Johnny Gaudreau accident details
Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau returned to their childhood home in southern New Jersey for their sister’s wedding. The night before the wedding, the brothers were bicycling when they were killed by a drunk driver.
The driver, Sean M. Higgins, failed a sobriety test with a blood-alcohol level of .087, over the legal limit of .08, and was arrested for the incident. Higgins is being charged with first-degree aggravated manslaughter, two counts of second-degree vehicular homicide, second-degree leaving the scene of a fatal accident and fourth-degree tampering with physical evidence.
In January, Higgins pleaded not guilty and turned down a plea deal of 35 years in prison.
What team did Johnny Gaudreau play for?
In his NHL career, Gaudreau played for both the Flames and the Blue Jackers after spending his college time at Boston College. The forward spent the first nine years of his career in Calgary, totaling 210 goals and 609 points, before signing a long-term deal with Columbus in the Summer of 2023.
Gaudreau ended his career having played in 763 games and totaling 243 goals and 500 assists for 743 combined points.
Did Johnny Gaudreau play for USA Hockey?
Gaudreau represented Team USA at the World Junior Championships in 2013 and the World Men’s Championship in 2014, 2017, 2018 and 2019. In that span, Gaudreau played in 39 games for Team USA, totaling 17 goals and 25 assists for 42 points.
