Johnny Gaudreau’s Teammates Come for His Daughter’s 2nd Birthday Party After His Death: ‘Forever Be Family’

Johnny Gaudreau’s Columbus Blue Jackets teammates all showed up to support his widow Meredith and their two-year-old daughter Noa after the NHL star’s tragic death.

On Monday, Sept. 30, Meredith shared photos and videos from Noa’s second birthday celebration on Instagram, which fell just one month after Johnny and his brother Matthew Gaudreau were fatally hit by an alleged drunk driver on Aug. 29 in New Jersey.

Among the images Meredith posted was a group shot of the Blue Jackets team all standing along large signage that read, “Happy 2nd Birthday Noa.”

Over the image, Meredith wrote on her Instagram Story, “We love you all. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

She added, “Really special group that will forever be family to me and our babies,” referring to Noa along with their son Johnny, who is 7 months old, and their third child on the way — Meredith announced she was pregnant with another baby at her husband’s funeral.

Noa’s second birthday party was farm-themed and included animal decorations and printed-out photographs of Noa with her late father.

Meredith shared several videos from the party, as well as photos and clips from the past year, including one with her and her daughter sitting on the couch while watching Johnny play an away game on TV. “Daddy’s biggest fan,” the caption on social media read.

The Blue Jackets organization has continued to find ways to honor their late star and his brother since their untimely deaths. The team announced on Sept. 19 that its players will wear stickers on their helmets and patches on their uniforms honoring Johnny throughout the NHL season.

“The sticker is blue with gray trim and features GAUDREAU, two doves between the numbers 13, which Johnny wore throughout his career, and 21, which Matthew wore at Boston College, in white,” the team said in a release.

Blue Jackets players also said recently that they’ll continue to set up Johnny’s locker before every game this season — home and away.

Head coach Dean Evason told ESPN that the team will also keep Johnny in clips of the team when they’re preparing for games. “With our videos we put together for camp, one of the coaches asked, do we take Johnny out of all of the clips?” Evason said, according to ESPN.

“I said ‘Absolutely not.’ Johnny is going to teach. Good and bad. If he didn’t back check, we’ll show it. He’s going to be with us. He’s going to be a presence.”

Johnny and Matt Gaudreau were killed on the eve of their sister Katie Gaudreau’s wedding when a suspected drunk driver hit the brothers, who were riding their bicycles.

Johnny, an 11-year NHL star with the Calgary Flames and the Columbus Blue Jackets, was 31. Matthew, a former NCAA hockey star with Boston College who became an assistant head coach for their high school hockey team in recent years, was 29.