Johnny Gaudreau’s wife Meredith writes note of gratitude to the Dubuque Fighting Saints after late NHLer’s jersey retirement tribute night

Late NHLer Johnny Gaudreau’s jersey was retired by the Dubuque Fighting Saints on Saturday. The organization held a special tribute ceremony before their USHL game against the Sioux City to honor Johnny’s legacy.

Johnny Gaudreau’s family was in attendance on the night and his father Guy Gaudreau was given the honor of the ceremonial puck drop with the full family on the ice. Johnny’s wife Meredith Gaudreau penned a heartfelt note of gratitude to the Fighting Saints on her Instagram stories later in the day.

She reposted a post from the official Instagram account of the USHL featuring photos from the evening, and wrote in the caption:

“Thank you @fightingsaints for a really touching tribute game and awesome win!!! 👏🏻 - Dubuque is a big piece of John’s hockey journey and somewhere I’ve always wanted to see because I know how much this city means to John. So much love for this organization ❤️🖤🤍”

via Instagram/@meredithgaudreau_

USHL Commissioner Glenn Hefferan announced the creation of the Gaudreau Award, given annually to the player who best represents the legacy of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau.

Johnny Gaudreau was the USHL Rookie of the Year during the 2010-11 season and helped the Fighting Saints win the Clark Cup championship. In 2018, he became a minority owner of the team. His brother Matthew Gaudreau previously played in the USHL with the Omaha Lancers.

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Johnny Gaudreau’s wife Meredith reacts to Columbus Fury's tribute to Gaudreau brothers

On Saturday, members of the Columbus Fury, which is a Pro Volleyball Federation team, wore tribute shirts honoring late NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew. The navy-blue shirts featured the name "Gaudreau" and the brothers’ jersey numbers, 13 and 21.

The team shared photos of the players in the shirts on their X account with the caption:

“This one is for Johnny Hockey @BlueJacketsNHL First serve is at 7PM!”

Johnny Gaudreau’s wife Meredith reacted with an emotional post, writing,

“Love this city so much. Thank you @ColumbusFury”

Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau were killed on Aug. 29 in a biking accident in Oldmans Township, New Jersey. The tragic accident occurred while they were in town for their sister Katie’s wedding. The driver charged in the incident, Sean Higgins, recently pleaded not guilty after rejecting a 35-year plea deal.