The 4 Nations Face-Off championship game between Team USA and Team Canada was a raucous atmosphere. The Boston crowd was loud from the National Anthems to Connor McDavid’s overtime winner. During the hotly contested third period, fans launched into a “Johnny Hockey” chant honoring the late Johnny Gaudreau.
With four minutes left in the third period of a tie game, the crowd chanted “Johnny Hockey.” Gaudreau played for Boston College, lifting them to a National Championship and winning the Hobey Baker Award. The South Jersey native likely would have been on the 4 Nations Face-Off team this year and Team USA squads moving forward.
Johnny and his brother Matthew were killed while riding bicycles on the side of the road in New Jersey on Labor Day weekend. The Columbus Blue Jackets and Calgary Flames honored the family and remembered Gaudreau to start the season. And his hometown Philadelphia Flyers have invited his dad, Guy Gaudreau, to practices this year. Guy was at the pre-tournament dinner with the 4 Nations team.
Many of the players on Team USA played with Johnny Gaudreau in junior leagues or with Team North America in the 2016 World Cup. His legacy was on their minds throughout the whole tournament and fans honored him too.
Johnny Gaudreau honored at 4 Nations Face-Off
Before the 4 Nations title game, Team Canada and Team USA brought out honorary captains for a pre-game ceremony. First, Canada brought out Wayne Gretzky to thunderous boos. Then, the American honorary captain came out of the tunnel. Mike Eruzione, 1980 Gold Medal captain, came out with a Johnny Gaudreau USA jersey. The crowd went wild for the Boston native and his jersey.
In the Team USA locker room after each game, the Gaudreau 4 Nations jersey was handed out to the player of the game. Captain Auston Matthews gave the first one to Brady Tkachuk, who put it on backward so everyone could see the number 13. The loss of Gaudreau was tragic and had an impact on everyone in the NHL. Team USA made sure he was part of the tournament posthumously.
Brady Tkachuk had Johnny Gaudreau’s jersey hung up at his stall for being named player of the game by his team
(via @PierreVLeBrun) pic.twitter.com/yj2GU1vRzj
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) February 14, 2025
Gaudreau’s widow Meredith Gaudreau was at the game and reacted to the clip on social media. “So emotional hearing this all around me 
Kept thinking how I can’t wait to show these videos to our kids one day,” she wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
With low expectations, both the Flames and Blue Jackets have had great starts to the year. While Team USA fell just short, Johnny Hockey lives on this NHL season.
The post Fans unite for incredible Johnny Gaudreau gesture during 4 Nations USA-Canada appeared first on ClutchPoints.
