Guy Gaudreau makes an unexpected appearance at U.S. practice ahead of 4 Nations: ‘I couldn’t believe they called me up.’

U.S. coach Mike Sullivan called having Gaudreau there "an honor." Johnny Gaudreau, Guy's oldest son, likely would have been a member of the team if not for his tragic passing.

by Jackie Spiegel

Published Feb. 11, 2025, 7:06 p.m. ET

MONTREAL ― Guy Gaudreau wrapped his gloves, with red and white rotating on the fingers, around a Jetspeed CCM stick.

It’s a stick similar to the one his son Johnny used when he skated in 763 NHL games between the Calgary Flames and Columbus Blue Jackets. And it was the same one he used in Voorhees a few months ago when he showed up to help coach the Flyers.

This time he was at the Bell Centre skating with the United States team before the 4 Nations Face-Off, all while wearing someone else’s skates. According to John Tortorella, Gaudreau was dressing next to him and said “I hope I don’t drop.” Of course, he did not. The longtime South Jersey youth hockey coach at Hollydell Ice Arena in Sewell and Gloucester Catholic High School is sturdy on his skates — even if it was an unexpected moment.

Gaudreau was expecting to fly home to New Jersey on Tuesday morning. Instead, after having dinner with, and being recognized by Team USA on Monday night, he was asked to stick around.

“I couldn’t believe they called me up. I was leaving today, and they asked me if I could stay one more day, come out on the ice, and be in the team picture,“ Guy Gaudreau told The Associated Press. ”I called my wife, I said, ‘This is crazy. They wanted me in the team picture.’ I was just honored that my son was that good that they respected him enough to say, put his dad in the picture.”

Johnny Gaudreau was that good. The seven-time NHL All-Star should have been on the ice with his countrymen Tuesday. He should have been donning that red, white, and blue jersey he wore at six different tournaments, capped by a gold medal at the 2013 World Juniors.

But on Aug. 29, Johnny, 31, and Matthew, 29, were killed by an alleged drunk driver. The brothers, who both played pro hockey, were riding bikes in Oldmans Township, on the eve of what was scheduled to be their younger sister’s wedding. Johnny left behind two young children, Johnny and Noa, and his wife, Meredith, is pregnant. Matthew’s wife, Madeline, gave birth to their first son Tripp in December.

So on Tuesday, Guy Gaudreau swapped orange and black for red, white, and blue. According to Bill Guerin, Team USA’s general manager, the players wanted him in the picture and the coaches wanted him on the ice.

“It’s an honor to have Guy out there,” head coach Mike Sullivan said. “He’s a terrific person. I did not know Guy at all until we met him here at the 4 Nations. Obviously the hockey world, in a lot of ways it’s a small world and it’s a family.”

Tortorella first invited Guy Gaudreau to help coach in training camp. The Flyers bench boss is now one of the assistants for the U.S., with a lineup filled with guys that either skated with Johnny or Matthew in the pro ranks, at Boston College, or internationally.

“It means a lot,” added U.S. captain Auston Matthews, who played with Johnny on Team North America in 2016. “A lot of guys here were very close with the Gaudreau brothers and a lot of guys have played with him. The impact that he’s had and the tragedy that happened just a couple of months ago still weighs heavy on all of us.”

When skating with the Flyers, Guy Gaudreau was known to give his two cents to Tortorella and push the players. Was he getting on the guys on Tuesday?

“That’s what I love about him, I think he’s got some fire to him. He’s not afraid to join in,” Tortorella told The Inquirer. “You got the best players in the world and I’m just glad — it’s still very hard for the family, and it’s probably a lifetime of hardness — for us to be involved with him in any way, and him with us just gives us a lift, and we hope we give him a lift."

“He was just chatting,” said U.S. defenseman Noah Hanifin, who played with Matthew at BC and Johnny on the Flames, with a chuckle. “We were skating around the circle a bit before practice talking about our curves and our stick flexes and stuff like that. He’s just so passionate about hockey. He loves the game.”

Guy Gaudreau passed down his love of the sport to his sons. Johnny’s No. 13 will be on display in the American locker room. His jersey will be hanging in a stall — the one he should have been sitting in.

Center Jack Eichel, who played with Johnny at the 2019 World Championship, probably said it best:

“Obviously, you want to do as well as you can for Matthew and Johnny knowing that they’re watching down on us and they’re here with us.”

Konecny skates

Flyers winger Travis Konecny skated for the first time with Team Canada after missing Monday due to illness.

“You show up in the room and you kind of look around and realize who’s here,” he told The Inquirer. “It makes you excited that you’re here as well and in that the same locker room. But that ended very quickly and I kind of turned the focus on just doing what probably got me here: trying to work hard and try not to be anybody I’m not, keep it simple.”

Konecny rotated in on the fourth line with Sam Bennett but was on the second power-play unit, a good indication he will play on Wednesday. Canada coach Jon Cooper would not confirm to The Inquirer that Konecny would be in, noting he had to check on him.

Having Konecny back was good news for Travis Sanheim. “He makes it a little more easier on me, to have a guy to lean on and joke around with,” Sanheim told The Inquirer.

Finally, Sam Ersson has been enjoying his time with Team Sweden — and pocketing information. “You kind of see the little tendencies and start to pick up and might be good for the future as well,” he said with a smile.