Meredith Gaudreau, the wife of the late Johnny Gaudreau, reflects on her husband’s passing on the occasion of their daughter’s birthday.
On September 20, she opened up about how she’s coping in the weeks following her husband’s death in an Instagram post, sharing a clip from an old interview in which the NHL star talked about fatherhood.
“I’m having a hard time as Noa’s 2nd birthday approaches,” Meredith Gaudreau wrote in the caption. “She loves watching daddy videos before bed, especially her requests for ‘daddy hockey’ which is what led me to these videos.”
Meredith Gaudreau said their daughter, Noa, “loves watching him play” and often “cheers him on through the screen.”
“His biggest fan. They loved each other so much,” she added. “She even has the same freckle as him on her right cheek. And now that she’s almost 2, I’ve been told their personalities are becoming more and more alike and I can’t wait for that to continue.”
Johnny Gaudreau, 31, and his brother Matthew, 29, were killed by a suspected drunk driver while riding bicycles in their New Jersey hometown on August 29.
The Columbus Blue Jackets star and Meredith Gaudreau, who married in September 2021, have two children together: daughter Noa, who turns 2 on September 30, and son Johnny, who was born in February.
During her eulogy at her husband and his brother’s joint funeral on September 9, Meredith Gaudreau revealed that she was expecting the couple’s third child and was in her ninth week of pregnancy.
Matthew Gaudreau and his wife Madeline, whom he married in July 2021, were also expecting their first child, who was due in December.
In the days following the brothers’ deaths, Meredith and Madeline Gaudreau posted several tributes to their late husbands, including heartbreaking posts about the close bond between Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau.
Meredith Gaudreau shared several more clips from old interviews with her husband on Instagram on September 20, including a moment where Johnny Gaudreau emphasizes the importance of family.
“My perfect husband. I want to say I feel so grateful when I watch these videos but honestly I have never not felt the happiest and most grateful girl in the world since the day I met him,” she wrote. “Videos like this are the reason. I love you so much John.”
In another Instagram post, Meredith Gaudreau said it was “really hard to watch hockey start” and “see how different” her life is after her husband’s death. The 2024-25 NHL season officially begins on Oct. 4.
“My whole life I’ve been taking care of John and our kids. That’s all I’ve ever wanted. But seeing Sean wear CBJ is something I know John has always wanted,” she wrote, referring to her husband’s former teammate Sean Monahan, who signed with the Blue Jackets in July to play with Johnny Gaudreau again, according to NHL.com.
She continued, adding, “Noa also enjoys cheering for Uncle Sean. I wish 23 a great training camp and can’t wait to cheer you on.”
This article was originally published on TODAY.com
