Gaudreau Family Event Helps Grieving Process As Participants Share Untold Stories Of Johnny And Matthew
Relatives and friends are making sure the Gaudreau brothers continue to be remembered.
Johnny Gaudreau, 31, the swift-skating left winger who made seven NHL all-star teams while playing for the Calgary Flames and Columbus Blue Jackets, and his brother, Matty, 29, a former pro player, were killed while bicycling and struck by an alleged drunk driver nearly 21 months ago.
The brothers' altruistic nature is being kept alive with hockey-related fundraisers, thanks to those connected to the beloved young men.
At the same time, they are honoring their legacies.
"I don't want them ever to be forgotten," Jane Gaudreau, the brothers' mom, said recently.
Team USA's Love For Johnny Gaudreau Brings Tears To His High School Family
The principal of the high school Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau attended said Team USA honoring the brothers after they won gold blew him away. And the students took notice as well.
Children-Friendly Day For A Reason
Johnny and Matty "loved children, so we wanted to make the family 5K fun and have things for the children, and this year we're having even more," Jane said. "We're having an entertainment company come in, and they're bringing a Bluey (character), and they're going to have facepainting and glitter and just all kinds of fun things. We're having inflatables and a bouncy house and a slide. It's all free."
There will also be a balloon artist and a stilt walker at the event, along with mascots like the Phillie Phanatic (Phillies), Gritty (Flyers) and the Gloucester Catholic Ram from the high school the Gaudreau brothers attended. In addition, an all-star dance team, directed by John and Matty's youngest sister, Katie, will perform, and a small train for toddlers will be available.
Being involved in the event's planning – Jane said the committee of friends does most of the work – has helped her and Guy; it's a distraction from their unimaginable loss and the day honors their sons.
Time, Jane said, has not reduced their pain.
"I was really looking forward to Thanksgiving and Christmas. I thought it would be easier than the previous year because it was the first year (without the boys), and I actually think it was harder," Jane said. "I didn't expect it to be as hard, and each day I grew increasingly more depressed and sadder."
Leaning On Each Other
"Sometimes, Guy will have a bad day or a bad night, and luckily I might have an OK day and then I can kind of help him out. Or vice versa. If I'm having a really bad day, he'll be able to help me," she said.
Jane said she and her husband "don't have anyone who depends on us, so it wasn't as easy to come to grips and say, you know, 'Get up, you have to do this.' "
Spending time babysitting their grandchildren, she said, has been beneficial. Almost every day, Guy babysits Tripp, who is nearly 17 months old. Tripp, the son of Matty and Madeline, was born four months after his father's death.
Guy, a one-time highly successful youth coach, smiles softly when he says he will have the toddler on the ice and will teach him how to skate when he's about 20 months old.
For more information on participating in the events, go to runsignup.com/Race/NJ/Sewell/GaudreauFamily5K.
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This story was originally published May 12, 2026 at 12:40 PM.