Team U.S.A. brought fallen NFL star Johnny Gaudreau’s young children on the ice for a team photo after taking Olympic gold in hockey at the 2026 Games in Italy on Sunday.
The gold-medal winners paid tribute to Gaudreau after the thrilling 2-1 overtime victory by hoisting his jersey while taking a victory lap around the ice on Sunday. But after the game, they continued to honor the player and his family by inviting his young children, daughter Noa, and oldest son, Johnny, onto the ice, according to the New York Post.
It was a double thrill for 2-year-old Johnny Jr., who was celebrating his birthday on Sunday during Team U.S.A.’s big gold medal win, the country’s third and the first since the famed “Miracle on Ice” Olympic team from 1980.
The New Jersey-born Gaudreau, who also played in Canada for the Calgary Flames, was struck and killed along with his brother, Matthew, by a drunk driver who ran them down as they rode bicycles on August 29, 2024, in New Jersey.
Team U.S.A. also hung Johnny’s jersey in its own locker during its Olympic events to serve as inspiration for the players throughout the tournament.
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