The widows of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau used the occasion of what would have been Johnny’s 32nd birthday to formally launch a foundation to honor the late hockey players.
But most of the interview with Meredith, Johnny’s wife, and Madeline on ABC’s “Good Morning America” dealt with the grief they have experienced in the nearly one year since their husbands died on Aug. 29, 2024. The brothers were hit by a suspected drunk driver while they were bicycling in New Jersey. Sean Higgins has pleaded not guilty to charges in the case.
“Half of me, the best part of me, died that day, too,” Meredith said. “I’m trying to be double now for my kids, even though I’m half of who I was.”
Both women were expecting at the time of their husbands’ deaths. Madeline gave birth to her first child, Tripp, and Meredith her third, Carter.
“Tripp’s now hitting milestones, so that’s heartbreaking because Matt was super excited to be a dad,” Madeline said.
The John and Matthew Gaudreau Foundation, first announced in March, will help youth hockey initiatives, support hockey families that have faced tragedy and help other families that have been affected by drunk driving.
“It was never lost on John and Matty about how expensive it is to maintain hockey as a hobby,” Meredith said.
The brothers played at Boston College. Older brother Johnny became a seven-time All-Star with the Calgary Flames and Columbus Blue Jackets. Matthew played in the American Hockey League and ECHL and retired to coach youth hockey.
The hockey community has kept the players’ names in the forefront. USA Hockey had Johnny Gaudreau’s jersey in the locker rooms at the 4 Nations Face-Off. Columbus fans sang “Happy Birthday” to Johnny Gaudreau Jr. at a game in February. The Blue Jackets and Detroit Red Wings honored the brothers with their outfits as they walked into their Stadium Series game. Meredith announced Blue Jackets first-round selections at the 2025 NHL Draft.
“My daughter (Noa) is catching on,” Meredith told ABC. “She’s 2 and she asks for him a lot. She says, ‘Daddy’s in heaven’ and I’m starting to explain to her what heaven is really because she wants to go to heaven and she says, ‘I want him to come back’ or ‘let’s call him.'”
Madeline said she has been writing notes to Matthew since a couple days after the accident.
“Lately it’s been like, oh, you know, ‘Tripp has two teeth now, but I know you know this.’ Because it’s hard for me to write and think that Matt isn’t seeing this,” she said.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Gaudreau brothers’ widows discuss grief, foundation launch
