"My one and onlyyyy": Matthew Gaudreau's wife Madeline shares sweet moment with her son Tripp on Lancers tribute night

The Omaha Lancers paid a special tribute to the memory of Matthew Gaudreau, who played for them from 2011 to 2013. On Saturday, the Lancers invited the Gaudreau family to a special ceremony during their game against the Dubuque Fighting Saints.

Matthew Gaudreau’s wife, Madeline, was present at the game for the special night with her son, Tripp. She shared an adorable picture of the mother-son duo on her Instagram stories from the night.

In the photo, Madeline was seen standing in front of a dark wooden wall that featured the Lancers logo of a bold knight helmet emblem. Meredith wore a black hoodie with “Lancers” and Matthew’s number 21 printed on the sleeve as she held Tripp in her arms. Tripp was dressed in a light-colored onesie with little black designs.

“My one and onlyyyy,” she wrote in the caption of the post.

via Instagram /@mogaudreau

Before the game, the Lancers showed a tribute video for the brothers on the big LED screen at the arena. The Gaudreau family was then invited to center ice for the ceremonial puck drop. The arena also held an 11-second moment of silence for Matthew Gaudreau, who wore No. 11 during his time with the team.

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Matthew Gaudreau’s mother Jane opens up on emotions of letting him go to the USHL

At the Omaha Lancers’ tribute night, Matthew Gaudreau’s mother, Jane, shared how her sons were deeply connected to hockey from a young age. She mentioned how the rink was like a second home to them and described them as the kind of kids who just couldn’t stay away from the ice.

“Hockey was everything to them; when you talk about a typical rink rat, that was them,” she said.

Jane also spoke about the difficulty she initially felt when Matthew left home to join the Omaha Lancers in the USHL.

“I thought, you know, people are crazy. How could you let your child go halfway across the country?” said Jane Gaudreau. [H/T kevtv.com]

Last year in August, Johnny Gaudreau his brother Matthew died in a tragic road accident, struck by a truck while bicycling in Oldmans Township, New Jersey. The driver, Sean Higgins, was arrested and charged with multiple offenses, including reckless vehicular homicide and aggravated manslaughter.

This year in January, Higgins pleaded not guilty to all charges and declined a plea deal that would have resulted in a 35-year prison sentence. He now remains in custody awaiting trial.