Johnny Gaudreau’s dream was to be an Olympian. His family lived it for him, in a moment fit for a ‘movie’

In May of 2024, Johnny Gaudreau reached out to his father, Guy. He’d recently wrapped up his 10th full NHL season, with the Columbus Blue Jackets, but had a bigger goal in mind.

For the first time since 2014, NHL players would be allowed to compete in the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics.

Gaudreau had already started conditioning, and wanted to do more. So, he went to his first coach.

“He said, ‘Dad when I come home, we really have to push it,’” Gaudreau’s sister, Katie, recalled to The Inquirer on Sunday. “‘I really want to make the Olympics.’”

» READ MORE: South Jersey reacts as Johnny Gaudreau’s jersey is displayed in Team USA’s golden victory

From May through August, Johnny and Guy drove from their Shore house in Avalon - where their family spent the summer - to any rink in the area that would give them an hour of ice time.

These weren’t always quick trips. Hollydell Ice Arena was about 60 miles away. Pennsauken Skate Zone was a little farther than that.

But Gaudreau knew this was his chance to achieve a lifelong dream. So he put in the extra work, sometimes getting additional conditioning in before his father arrived to the rink.

He was, by his own admission, “not impressed” with what shape he was in at the start. But by the end of the summer, he’d improved.

Guy saw it himself. In August, he turned to his wife, Jane.

“I think he might make the team,” he told her. “He’s in the best shape of his life.”

The Gaudreaus started thinking about a future trip to Milan, Italy, where the Olympics would take place.

Katie, who was set to get married in late August 2024, was already planning a honeymoon there, and joked that it wouldn’t make sense to go twice in a short span.

She began sketching out the conversation with her supervisors at Oldsman Township School, where she works as a first-grade teacher.

But all of this excitement and hope came to an unceremonious halt on Aug. 29, 2024.

Johnny and his brother, Matty, were at home in Oldsman Township, for Katie’s wedding the following day.

They were hit by an alleged drunk driver while riding bicycles on County Route 551. They were severely wounded and both died at the scene. Johnny was 31 years old, and Matty was 29.

Ever since they died, their family has been trying to honor their legacy. Jane and Guy have attended multiple ceremonies to honor their late sons.

Last year, they started the annual Gaudreau Family 5K, an in-person and virtual road race to raise money for the Gaudreau Family Foundation.

But this week, they received a special opportunity to celebrate Johnny’s ultimate goal.

On Tuesday, a representative for USA Hockey asked the Gaudreau family if they’d want to attend the semifinal game against Slovakia on Friday. They were also invited to Sunday’s gold-medal game, if the Americans qualified.

Initially, Guy and Jane said no. Katie and her sister Kristen weren’t able to make it, and they didn’t want to travel without them.

It also seemed bittersweet to attend an Olympic semifinal or final without their late son.

But on Wednesday morning, Jane had a change of heart.

“My mom was like, ‘I really didn’t sleep,’” Katie said. “‘I think John would want us to go. I think we should go.’”

Throughout his career, Gaudreau was a staple of USA Hockey. He’d been involved in development camps since he was a teenager.

He’d competed in international tournaments since 2010, when he was a member of the Under-18 men’s select team.

In the 2013 World Junior Championship, Gaudreau led the tournament with seven goals en route to a gold medal.

» READ MORE: Team USA honors the late Johnny Gaudreau after winning Olympic gold in Milan

The forward quickly established himself as a key player on the senior team, setting a number of offensive records, despite never competing at an Olympics.

He still holds the mark for the most points (43) and assists (30) by any American in IIHF men’s World Championship history.

“He does his best, I swear, in a Team USA jersey,” Katie said.

His Olympic enthusiasm went beyond tournament play. The Gaudreau family watched the movie Miracle, about the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team, so many times, they could recite it by heart.

It was always playing in their minivan, as they traveled up and down the East Coast for Johnny and Matty’s hockey tournaments.

As the years passed, and Gaudreau continued to establish himself as an NHL star, the idea of him making an Olympic team seemed less of a dream and more a reality.

Team USA confirmed as much after Johnny passed. Last year, at the Four Nations Face-Off, an official told Guy that, ‘John would have had a spot on the team.’

“Any hockey player growing up, of course they want to make it to the NHL, but the Olympics is really the big thing,” said Katie. “And it’s always been a dream of John and Matthew’s. And we knew it was a tangible dream.”

So, when Team USA made their initial offer to fly the family out to Milan, Jane and Guy were hesitant.

They knew going to a game or two would be bittersweet and emotional. Katie knew this, too. But she encouraged her parents to at least try.

“I said, ‘If you get there, and you go to the first game, and it’s entirely too hard, you don’t have to go back,’” Katie said. “‘You don’t have to go. You can leave. But if you’re watching the game at home, you can’t be there.’

“‘So this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to honor the boys. And keep their legacy alive. And that’s what we do, every day. We wake up and we just want to honor the boys’ legacy.’”

Jane and Guy decided to go. They met Johnny’s widow, Meredith, in Atlanta, with her children, Noa and Johnny Jr.

» READ MORE: Jane Gaudreau needed a project after the loss of her two sons. She found one in the Gaudreau Family 5K.

Together, they flew to Milan, where they attended Friday’s game against Slovakia and Sunday’s gold-medal game against Canada.

Katie and Kristen watched from their parents’ house in South Jersey with family and close friends. They knew that the players had hung up Johnny’s USA jersey in their locker room, and hoped that he would be celebrated if they won.

But they weren’t sure what would happen when the United States won, 2-1, in overtime. Katie and her sister were “in tears” when Auston Matthews, Matthew Tkachuk, and Zach Werenski carried Gaudreau’s No. 13 jersey as they glided across the ice.

What happened next exceeded the family’s expectations. Meredith, who was watching in the stands with her kids and in-laws, received a call from a Team USA official.

He put her in touch with Tkachuk, who asked if she could bring Noa and Johnny Jr. down to the ice.

Two players, Dylan Larkin and Werenski, skated off the rink, with gold medals hanging around their necks.

They met Meredith at the bottom of the stands, scooped up Noa and Johnny Jr., and carried them back out for a team photo.

Noa sat on Werenski’s lap. Johnny Jr. - who was celebrating his second birthday - sat on Larkin’s.

“I was like, ‘There’s’ no way they’re going to do that. There’s no way,’” Katie said. “When they did that, I lost it. I’m so proud. I’m so happy that the kids got to experience that, because this is what John wanted. The team did an amazing job.”

It’s a memory the Gaudreaus will hold close. They know that tomorrow, people will go to work, and get on about their days, and a fresh news cycle will take hold.

But a year and a half later, Team USA still hasn’t forgotten about Johnny and Matty Gaudreau. And for that, their family is grateful.

“Every time I think ‘Alright, now it’s time to move on, we’re not going to have all this support -- they don’t [move] on,” said Katie. “This is a history book [moment] that there will be a movie about.

“And in that movie, Noa and Johnny will be on the ice.”

» READ MORE: Johnny and Matty Gaudreau were more than hockey. They were inspirations to their South Jersey community.