Former NHL stars Matthew and Johnny Gaudreau tragically died in late August after being struck by a suspected drunk driver while cycling in Salem County, New Jersey. The devastating loss of the two brothers has left an irreplaceable void in their family, but their siblings and partners continue to honor their memories.
On Sunday, Johnny Gaudreau’s sister Katie shared a nostalgic story on her Instagram, recalling how her brother Matthew had a love-hate relationship with the family’s “Soup Sunday” tradition.
“Matthew hated Soup Sunday…he claimed soup was only an app and not meant to be an entire dinner,” Katie wrote.
Every fall Sunday, the family would gather to watch football while Katie cooked soup for dinner. Matthew, however, wasn’t a fan of the tradition, insisting that soup was just an appetizer and not a proper meal. Despite his complaints, Matthew and his wife, Madeline, would show up every week.
“Sundays were his only day off so him and Madeline would spend the day with us watching football but I always cook soup on Sundays during the fall and call it 'Soup Sunday'. Every single week he got pissed because of 'Soup Sunday' but every single Sunday they came back,” Katie recalled.
Johnny Gaudreau and his siblings were ‘the bestest friends ever’
The Gaudreau siblings were close, sharing countless special moments as a family. Last month, Katie Gaudreau posted an emotional TikTok to remember her brothers.
The video showed heartwarming moments including road trips, family gatherings, karaoke nights and even clips from Johnny’s wedding afterparty. Katie shared the TikTok video with the caption:
“POV: your brothers and sister were your best friends. 🤍🪽”
“The bestest friend ever,” Katie captioned her Instagram story, sharing the TikTok with four hearts.
Johnny and Matthew died on Aug. 29 in a cycling accident caused by a suspected drunk driver. They were in town for Katie's wedding when the accident happened. To honor their memory, Katie even had their initials, "J & M," engraved on her wedding ring.
Katie Gaudreau also shared a heartfelt message about her two-year-old niece, Noa, the daughter of her late brother Johnny Gaudreau. In an emotional Instagram story, Katie expressed how much Noa means to the family, calling her the one who "saved us" and gave them a reason to keep going despite their grief.
She shared how grateful she felt for being Noa’s aunt and promised to tell her all about her amazing dad and uncle.