The classy move that cut through the noise of controversy in Team USA’s Olympic win

Team USA’s gold medal win over Canada at the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics came with its share of controversy, from political headlines to viral moments that divided fans. But when the final buzzer sounded on the 2–1 victory, the image that truly mattered had nothing to do with politics.

As the Americans celebrated on the ice, players brought out the children of late NHL star Johnny Gaudreau. Three-year-old Noa and two-year-old Johnny Jr., who had just celebrated his birthday, posed with their father’s No. 13 jersey in the arms of the newly crowned Olympic champions.

“They didn’t have to do that,” Meredith Gaudreau told ABC News Live. “I was just very, very proud, and I’m very thankful to them for including my kids in it, and just honoring my husband the way they do. It’s the classiest thing.”

Gaudreau, the former Columbus Blue Jackets star known as “Johnny Hockey,” died tragically in August 2024 alongside his brother Matthew after the two were struck by a drunk driver in New Jersey. The loss sent shockwaves through the hockey world. Nearly two years later, the respect from his teammates hasn’t faded.

“Still every day is kind of a gut punch,” Meredith said. “So when the guys do what they can to still include John and our kids, it just means everything to me.”

Her daughter, she shared, is beginning to understand. “Daddy’s friends want to take a picture with you and Johnny,” Meredith told her. “You get to do this because of daddy and they love and they miss him, too.”

In a week where the U.S. men’s team also drew attention for its White House invitation and laughing at President Donald Trump’s terrible joke directed at the women’s team, and where that very women’s team declined as a group citing scheduling conflicts, the on-ice tribute cut through the noise.

Whatever the headlines off the ice, this was the moment that defined the tournament for many fans: teammates honoring one of their own, children lifted high in celebration, and a reminder that hockey, at its best, is about loyalty, love, and legacy.