Meredith Gaudreau Opens Up About the Devastating Moment She Learned of His Death

Published: June 12, 2025

Meredith Gaudreau, the widow of late NHL star Johnny Gaudreau, has penned a heartbreaking essay detailing the moment she learned of her husband's tragic death. The essay, published by The Player's Tribune, recounts the beginnings of their relationship, their move from Calgary to Columbus, and the birth of their three children.

Johnny, 31, and his brother Matthew, 29, were killed last August when an alleged drunk driver crashed into them while they were riding bicycles the day before their sister Katie Gaudreau's wedding.

In her essay, Meredith reveals that the incident was exactly four years after Johnny proposed to her near their families' homes in Avalon, New Jersey. She writes that the morning before the crash, Johnny made breakfast for their daughter Noa, now 2, and son Johnny, now 1, and then hung out with his wife and kids before packing their car ahead of his sister Katie's wedding.

Meredith recalls that Johnny left home to attend a golf outing with his brother Matthew and the other groomsmen in the wedding. "You kissed all of us goodbye and said you'd see us later. And that was that," Meredith remembers.

Then, Meredith says, there was a worried call from Johnny's sister telling her "something had happened but she didn't know what exactly." Meredith writes that she was thinking about how she was going to help Johnny through whatever it was that had happened to Matty, but when she arrived at her in-laws' house, she learned the worst had happened and it was both of them.

Meredith Gaudreau and Johnny Gaudreau with their son Johnny (left) and daughter Noa (right).

Meredith describes what happens next in heart-wrenching detail. "I was in shock," she recalls. "I was keeled over for days sick to my stomach. It's completely indescribable. The only person who can relate to me is my own sister-in-law. I see her and my heart breaks for her. I'm sick for her."

Meredith continues to express her grief and writes that she is still coming to terms with the loss of her husband and brother-in-law. "I thought of our baby inside of me. I couldn't stand up. I was awake and having nightmares. Thinking of you in that moment. Thinking of Matty. It's just the worst thing I could have ever imagined. And in an instant, I missed you more than I knew was possible. And I haven't stopped missing you since."

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Originally published on olostars.com