Johnny Gaudreau's wife Meredith reveals special tattoo honoring deceased NHL star

Late NHLer Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew died in a tragic road accident in late August. Since then, the hockey community has honored the memory of the two beloved stars in different ways.

On Tuesday, Johnny Gaudreau’s wife Meredith revealed her first-ever tattoo in honor of her husband during the tribute night in Calgary on Tuesday. The tattoo placed on her wrist features Johnny’s signature.

Meredith shared in an interview with Sportsnet on Tuesday that she got the tattoo in Calgary because of its importance in Johnny’s hockey journey.

“Yeah so I got it here because I have, like this bandage on, but I got his autograph because I figured this is where it all kind of started. (He) got me all these bracelets. So I kind of like that.”

She explained that the location and design were meaningful, as Calgary was where Johnny’s NHL career took off and where they created many memories.

“And then I got his autograph here, because I just thought it'd be cool to say I did those in Calgary. That's where his autograph really took off. It's like, this is where it all began. So I've never had a tattoo before, so I'm nervous, but I really like that.”

Meredith also praised the Flames’ efforts to preserve Johnny and Matthew’s memory, including repurposing memorial sticks into benches and donating items to charities like Parachute for Pets.

She described the warmth and familiarity of being back and expressed deep appreciation for fans and the city, calling Calgary a ‘home away from home’ and cherishing the chance to reconnect with familiar faces and share the moment with her children.

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Calgary Flames and Columbus Blue Jackets pay tribute to Johnny Gaudreau’s legacy

The Calgary Flames and Columbus Blue Jackets came together at the Scotiabank Saddledome on Tuesday to honor the late Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew in a pre-game ceremony. The brothers died in a road accident caused by an alleged drunk driver near their home in Salem County on August 29.

Before the game, both teams lined up on their blue lines as a tribute video featuring Gaudreau’s highlights played, accompanied by Flames anthem singer George Canyon’s rendition of Johnny B. Goode. Players wore Gaudreau’s No. 13 jersey during warmups and so did many fans in the arena.

Johnny’s parents, Guy and Jane, his wife Meredith, their two children, and his sisters Kristen and Katie took part in the ceremonial puck drop. Blue Jackets forward and a close friend of Gaudreau, Sean Monahan, and Flames captain Mikael Backlund participated in the faceoff while players from both teams gathered around the family.

229 hockey sticks left at the Saddledome memorial this summer were repurposed into benches and donated to local arenas. The Gaudreau family participated in the first bench dedication on Monday.