"Our best friends": Meredith Gaudreau shares throwback wedding picture with Johnny Gaudreau and Claudia Mangiapane

Meredith Gaudreau took to Instagram to share a special throwback picture from her wedding to Johnny Gaudreau. In late August, Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau passed away in a tragic road accident while cycling in Salem County.

Meredith has been paying tributes to her late husband from time to time on social media. On Wednesday, she posted a special picture on her Instagram story from the after-party of their wedding day back in September 2021.

The picture showed Meredith, Johnny, and Claudia Magiapane, the wife of Johnny’s close friend and former teammate Andrew Mangiapane, having a fun moment celebrating their special day. Meredith captioned the photo with a heartfelt caption:

“🤍 our best friends”

via Instagram/ @meredithgaudreau_/

Johnny and Meredith tied the knot in a beautiful ceremony at St. Agatha-St. James Church in Philadelphia in 2021. The wedding saw several of his then-Calgary Flames teammates in attendance, including Matthew Tkachuk and Andrew Mangiapane with their families.

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Johnny Gaudreau’s family thank hockey community for their support

Johnny Gaudreau’s family is going through a difficult time after the tragic loss of Johnny and his brother Matthew. Despite their immense grief, the Gaudreau family has expressed their gratitude to the hockey community for their support in this tough period.

Earlier this month, the Columbus Blue Jackets honored Johnny’s legacy during their home opener, leaving his spot on the ice empty and holding 13 seconds of silence as they raised a special banner in his honor to the rafters. Johnny’s widow, Meredith, and their two children were there as the crowd chanted "Johnny Hockey."

Johnny Gaudreau’s mother, Jane Gaudreau, expressed her gratitude to the hockey community for the overwhelming support her family has received after the tragic loss of her sons. In a post on X, Jane wrote:

“Thank you to the Columbus Blue Jackets organization, the players, their families, and the entire city of Columbus. The love and support you’ve shown for John, Matty, and our family have helped us through the most difficult time of our lives.”

Johnny’s close friend and former teammate Sean Monahan dedicated his first goal of the season to Johnny, pointing to the rafters where Johnny’s banner was displayed. Meredith expressed how proud Johnny would have been of Sean for his support to the Gaudreau during this tough time.

Johnny Gaudreau’s sister, Katie, also shared a heartfelt message thanking the Columbus Blue Jackets for their support. In an Instagram post, Katie expressed deep gratitude to the team for their hospitality during the season opener. She thanked the fans, staff, coaches, players and their families for taking care of her parents, sisters, nieces and nephews during this difficult time.