"I can't believe you gave me a boy": Johnny Gaudreau's wife Meredith recollects his heartwarming words on Baby Johnny's 1st birthday

Late Columbus Blue Jackets forward Johnny Gaudreau’s wife, Meredith, shared an Instagram post on Saturday. In her post, she celebrated her son John’s first birthday and shared pictures from his birth.

In one of the pictures from the past, Meredith is holding their newborn in the hospital. In the next photo, Johnny was captured wearing a black beanie and looking at their baby. Another photo shows them taking a selfie in the hospital.

"Happy 1st Birthday to our baby boy! We love you so much Baby Johnny! Already so strong and so special. 2/22 🩵," she captioned the post.

She also recalled Johnny’s reaction when their son was born.

"'I can’t believe you gave me a boy,' is all John said over and over again when Baby Johnny arrived. I couldn’t stop staring at how happy John was—one of the best moments of my life," Meredith wrote.

"Baby Johnny you are Mommy’s rock and Noa’s best friend." She added.

She added that Johnny’s greatest happiness comes from being a father.

"All of daddy’s accomplishments don’t compare to the pride and joy he had in being your father."

Pictures from the celebration included Meredith with John, who was wearing a "Birthday Boy" t-shirt. In the next photo, John is sitting on a chair with a cake in front of him. The sign on the table reads, "It’s My Birthday!" Johnny's 2-year-old sister, Noa, was leaning on the chair.

Meredith also shared that she is expecting their third child. In her post, she expressed her excitement, saying:

"I can’t wait to give you a little sibling soon! Everything for you Baby Johnny. We love you so much 💙!"

She ended the post with a message to Johnny Gaudreau.

"Thank you, John, for giving me our boy. Thank you for our family. Crazy first year, but today we celebrate 🥳💙."

Meredith Gaudreau reacts to fans honoring Johnny Gaudreau at 4 Nations Face-Off

On February 20, fans honored Johnny Gaudreau during the USA-Canada 4 Nations Face-Off final. His wife, Meredith, felt emotional when they chanted "Johnny Hockey!"

Meredith shared her feelings on X (formerly Twitter). She replied to an ESPN video that captured the moment.

"So emotional hearing this all around me ♥️♥️♥️ Kept thinking how I can’t wait to show these videos to our kids one day," she wrote.

Johnny Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew, were cycling in Oldmans Township, New Jersey, on August 29, 2024, when a driver, allegedly under the influence, tried to overtake another car and hit them.

Johnny, a Columbus Blue Jackets winger, and Matthew did not survive. The crash happened before their sister Katie’s wedding. On January 7, the driver, Sean M. Higgins, pleaded not guilty to the charges.