Johnny Gaudreau's mother Jane has a heartfelt response to Flyers donning Gaudreau brothers' former school's hockey jerseys

Modified Dec 22, 2024 19:22 GMT

On Saturday, the Philadelphia Flyers paid tribute to Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau during their game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Flyers wore jerseys of the Gloucester Catholic High School, where the Gaudreau brothers played hockey.

Before the game, the Flyers shared a video showing players arriving at Wells Fargo Center in the special jerseys. Each jersey featured either Johnny’s No. 13 or Matthew’s No. 21. The Flyers captioned it,

“🧡 13 🖤 21. Remembering two Gloucester Catholic legends ahead of tonight’s tilt with the Jackets.”

Jane Gaudreau, Johnny and Matthew’s mother, thanked the Flyers in a tweet:

“I know John & Matty are loving this so much! Thank you @NHLFlyers!”

Expand Tweet

The Flyers also invited Johnny Gaudreau's family to the game. They participated in a ceremonial puck drop before the start. Columbus forward Sean Monahan and Flyers forward Scott Laughton joined the puck drop ceremony. The Gaudreau family wore Flyers jerseys and appeared on the large screen as the crowd watched silently.

Expand Tweet

A video tribute showed the brothers’ hockey careers and their impact on the community. It included a childhood picture of Johnny and Matthew, which Johnny's wife Meredith shared on her IG story and wrote:

"Miss you John & Matty so much, cutest little boys I’ve ever seen."

Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau were standout players at Gloucester Catholic. The school is located close to the Flyers’ home arena. Tragically, both brothers passed away in August after being struck by an alleged drunk driver while cycling. The driver faces charges of death by auto.

Both Flyers and Blue Jackets coaches shared kind words for Johnny Gaudreau's family

Before the game, Columbus Blue Jackets coach Dean Evason praised the tribute.

"Everybody wants to honor Johnny, so do we," Evason said, per NHL.com. "We've been through it. It's something that is definitely not a negative, as far as people and their process of healing and celebrating who he was. We encourage it and will be part of it, which we always are."

Flyers coach John Tortorella said he keeps in touch with Guy, Johnny and Gaudreau Matthew's father.

"I'm gonna see Guy (Gaudreau, Johnny and Matthew's father) and his family before the game," Tortorella said. "We stay in touch. He's been great for the team."

Tortorella acknowledged the family’s challenges, especially during the holidays.

"Holidays, it's hard, I'm sure, for the family," he said. "We're going to try to make them as comfortable as possible ... a circumstance that's a hell of a lot bigger than a damn hockey game."

The night was emotional for everyone involved.