USA Hockey won its second consecutive World Junior Championships gold medal on Sunday, beating Finland, 4-3, in overtime. After the win, the team honored Johnny Gaudreau, the American hockey legend and South Jersey native who, along with his brother Matthew, was struck and killed by an alleged drunk driver while biking in his Salem County hometown in August.
During the tournament, the team kept a locker open to honor Gaudreau, hanging his No. 13 jersey.
“Any time you look over in the corner of the locker room and you see him, it always puts a smile on my face,” Washington Capitals prospect and Boston College forward Ryan Leonard said in a tribute video. “I know he’s going to have my back out there during the game and it’s going to be a fun time.”
After winning the gold medal on Sunday, the team took a photo with the jersey, dedicating the win to the Gaudreau brothers.
Johnny Gaudreau’s widow, Meredith, and mother, Jane, posted on social media their joy over the win and the tribute.
Gaudreau starred on the 2013 World Junior Championships team, leading the tournament with seven goals during the USA’s gold-medal run. He last played for USA Hockey at the 2024 IIHF World Championships in June, compiling three goals and eight assists for 11 points in eight games, alongside Leonard and goalie Trey Augustine, both of whom were on the gold-medal World Junior team. The tournament was his fifth time representing Team USA at the World Championships. Gaudreau’s 43 career points in the IIHF World Championships are the most ever by an American player.
“It’s so special,” Augustine told reporters after the gold-medal win. “[Gaudreau] is an unbelievable person. I got to know him pretty well this summer at men’s worlds. Being able to spend time with him and realize his impact on the hockey community, there’s not many better people than that. Having him there with us and knowing he’s supporting us means so much to our group.”