"So many great memories watching you": Johnny Gaudreau's mother pens emotional note ahead of Omaha Lancers honoring her son Matthew

Modified Mar 16, 2025 12:13 GMT

Since the tragic death of Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew in August last year, the hockey community has been paying special tributes to the memory of the late stars. Now the Omaha Lancers will pay tribute to the late Matthew Gaudreau with a special event on April 5.

The junior hockey team, where Matthew played from 2011 to 2013, will dedicate a game night in his memory against Dubuque. The team announced that to honor his contributions, the team will wear special edition Matthew Gaudreau warmup jerseys on the night.

Matthew’s mother Jane Gaudreau shared a post from SPM Hockey’s Instagram account on her stories on Saturday featuring pictures of the custom jerseys made in honor of her late son.

“So many great memories watching you play for the @omahalancers. Looking forward to honoring you on April 5th ❤️,” she wrote in the caption.

The shirts will later be auctioned and the proceeds will be going to the John & Matthew Gaudreau Foundation.

“Coming soon… the omahalancers will be wearing these special edition Matthew Gaudreau warmup jerseys that will be auctioned off at the game at their Matthew Gaudreau night on Saturday, April 5th against Dubuque with all proceeds going to the John & Matthew Gaudreau foundation. 🧡🖤”

The Lancers' white jerseys featured "GAUDREAU" and the number "11" in black and orange on the back. During his time with the Lancers in the USHL, Matthew Gaudreau played 106 games, recording 15 goals and 25 assists.

Johnny Gaudreau’s mother thanks Golden Knights and hockey community

Earlier last week, Jane Gaudreau shared her gratitude for the tribute and the ongoing support from the hockey community since the tragic death of the Guadreau brothers. She thanked the Vegas Golden Knights for hosting the Guadreau family in Las Vegas and inviting Johnny’s father, Guy,to skate with the team.

Jane posted pictures from their time in Vegas on her Instagram and expressed appreciation for the opportunity. She mentioned how meaningful it was to see Guy back on the ice:

“I wanted to take a moment to express our appreciation. First, a huge thank you to the @vegasgoldenknights for inviting Guy out on the ice with you. It was an incredible experience, and we are truly grateful for the opportunity. Guy is always happy on the ice, and it was so heartwarming for me to see him smile a little!”

She also acknowledged the support of hockey fans and the community for helping her family through a difficult time. Jane then thanked the hospitality of close friends who made their trip to Vegas special, mentioning activities like hiking, horseback riding and attending an Eagles concert.

About the author

Anjum is an NHL reporter at Sportskeeda with over five years of professional experience in the industry. Having an educational background in Media Studies, she strives to present information in a clear and unbiased manner, so that all perspectives are considered and represented fairly.

Anjum prioritizes thorough research, fact-checking and verification of sources when reporting, and has worked for the Nation of Blaugrana, Barca International Cules, FromTheBend, Last Word On Sports and NASA.

She got interested in ice hockey after watching the “MVP” trilogy as a second grader and has not gotten over the sport yet. Her favorite player is Alex Ovechkin, whose legendary one-timers live rent free in her heart. The iconic moment when Ovechkin reached 800 career goals with a hat trick in Chicago as the away crowd chanted “Ovi, Ovi” is probably her happiest memory from an ice-rink.

She is a self-taught musician, loves silversmithing and can be found at her workbench if she’s not watching or writing about sports.

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