MILAN — In one of the most emotional moments of the 2026 Winter Olympics, the United States men’s national ice hockey team clinched its first Olympic gold medal in men’s hockey since 1980 with a dramatic 2-1 overtime win over Canada men’s national ice hockey team — and then paid tribute to a teammate they knew could have been part of that triumph.

As players skated around the ice celebrating, they held aloft the No. 13 jersey of the late Johnny Gaudreau, a beloved star whose life and career were tragically cut short along with his brother Matthew in a 2024 traffic accident in New Jersey. Throughout the Olympic tournament, Gaudreau’s No. 13 hung in the U.S. locker room as a silent reminder of the teammate they were fighting for — a presence felt even in his absence.

When the celebration moment came, the emotion deepened: Gaudreau’s widow Meredith, his parents Guy and Jane, and his children — including son Johnny Jr. (who turned two that day) and daughter Noa — were invited onto the ice for the team photo, joining the gold-medal winners with their father’s jersey displayed. His family’s presence — and the way players honored him with flags and smiles through tears — turned a historic sporting victory into a deeply human story of remembrance and loss.

Teammates spoke openly about how much Gaudreau “meant to the group” and how his dream of Olympic competition lived on in their hearts as they skated for gold.

In a moment meant for celebration, the jersey still said so much more — a legacy that didn’t end with a life, but carried into victory.