{"id":665,"date":"2026-02-23T20:01:36","date_gmt":"2026-02-23T20:01:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vibes15.com\/?p=665"},"modified":"2026-02-23T20:01:36","modified_gmt":"2026-02-23T20:01:36","slug":"gold-medals-were-shining-but-the-moment-that-truly-stopped-the-arena-cold-came-after-the-final-buzzer-when-zach-werenski-and-dylan-larkin-brought-johnny-gaudreaus-kids-onto-the-ice-during-tea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vibes15.com\/?p=665","title":{"rendered":"Gold Medals Were Shining but the Moment That Truly Stopped the Arena Cold Came After the Final Buzzer When Zach Werenski and Dylan Larkin Brought Johnny Gaudreau\u2019s Kids Onto the Ice During Team USA\u2019s Emotional Olympic Gold Celebration After Their Stunning Win Over Canada"},"content":{"rendered":"

Johnny Gaudreau\u00a0was on Team USA\u2019s minds as they celebrated their Olympic gold.<\/p>\n

The players made a point to bring the late NHL star into the festivities after they beat rival Canada to win gold at the 2026 Winter Olympics on Sunday, Feb. 22. As the team posed for photos on the ice with their medals, forward Dylan Larkin and defenseman Zach Werenski brought over Gaudreau\u2019s daughter Noa, 3, and son Johnny Jr., 2.<\/p>\n

Larkin smiled alongside Johnny Jr. \u2014 who turned 2 on Sunday \u2014\u00a0while holding up Gaudreau\u2019s No. 13 jersey, and Werenski held a grinning Noa.<\/p>\n

Gaudreau\u2019s wife\u00a0Meredith\u00a0brought the kids to the game, alongside his parents Jane and Guy Gaudreau. Guy was seen crying after Jack Hughes won the game in overtime for Team USA.<\/p>\n

Johnny, who died at age 31 along with his brother Matthew, 29, when they were struck and killed by an alleged drunk driver the night before their sister\u2019s wedding in Aug. 2024, was expected to make the U.S. Olympic team, fulfilling a lifelong dream.<\/p>\n

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Zach Werenski holds Johnny Gaudreau\u2019s daughter Noa.<\/span>Gregory Shamus\/Getty <\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Winning and getting the chance to honor Johnny \u201cwas emotional,\u201d Werenski, who was Johnny\u2019s former teammate on the Columbus Blue Jackets, told reporters, including PEOPLE, after the game.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was good emotions. It was happy emotions. It was something John would\u2019ve been at, and to have his jersey out there for all the fans, for all the people to see\u2026 His family was in the crowd. We brought his kids on the ice for the picture, I mean, it was just incredible. We wanted to make him proud, and I think we did that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Defenseman Jake Sanderson, who played with Johnny on Team USA at World Championships, added, \u201cTo get his kids on the ice for that team picture, it\u2019s pretty emotional to get his jersey. This win is for him and his family.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, in which the late NHL star would likely have played for Team USA, his family issued a statement on what this year\u2019s Games mean to them and to Johnny\u2019s memory. Playing in the Milan Cortina Olympics alongside his fellow NHL players \u201cwas one of his greatest dreams,\u201d Johnny\u2019s family\u00a0said in a statement\u00a0the day of the opening ceremony.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn 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,\u201d they wrote. \u201cWhile it breaks our hearts that John won\u2019t 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

They continued: \u201cThough the Olympics will be bittersweet for our family, we find comfort knowing that in the hearts of his teammates, friends, and everyone who loved watching him play, John will be right there. Go Team USA. We know John and Matty are watching with pride.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Johnny Gaudreau\u00a0was on Team USA\u2019s minds as they celebrated their Olympic gold. The players made a point to bring the late NHL star into the festivities after they beat rival Canada to win gold at the 2026 Winter Olympics on Sunday, Feb. 22. As the team posed for photos on the ice with their medals, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":666,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-665","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nGold Medals Were Shining but the Moment That Truly Stopped the Arena Cold Came After the Final Buzzer When Zach Werenski and Dylan Larkin Brought Johnny Gaudreau\u2019s Kids Onto the Ice During Team USA\u2019s Emotional Olympic Gold Celebration After Their Stunning Win Over Canada - Vibes<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/vibes15.com\/?p=665\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Gold Medals Were Shining but the Moment That Truly Stopped the Arena Cold Came After the Final Buzzer When Zach Werenski and Dylan Larkin Brought Johnny Gaudreau\u2019s Kids Onto the Ice During Team USA\u2019s Emotional Olympic Gold Celebration After Their Stunning Win Over Canada - Vibes\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Johnny Gaudreau\u00a0was on Team USA\u2019s minds as they celebrated their Olympic gold. 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