“When we were first invited to Milan for the Olympics, we said no. It felt like more than we could handle. But we kept thinking about what John and Matty would say if they knew we turned it down. We knew the answer. John loved representing his country. From the time he was little, he dreamed of competing at the Olympics. In that final summer, he was working harder than ever, pushing himself with everything he had to earn a spot on that roster. He was going to be there. Sitting with that knowledge while watching these Games was not easy — but being present for them, surrounded by people who truly cared about John and Matty, made it something we will always treasure. Every person we encountered took the time to ask about the boys — who they were, what they meant to us, the kind of people they were away from the ice. What struck us most was realizing that John and Matty's impact reaches so much further than we sometimes see in our own grief. They are carried by so many people — in locker rooms, in conversations, in quiet moments we will never even know about. That means everything to us. And then Team USA won gold. When Zach, Auston, and Matthew carried John's jersey around that ice, we were overwhelmed — they made sure he was there. And then to see Noa and Johnny — on Johnny's second birthday — carried out onto the ice to be part of that gold medal photo — there are no words for what that felt like. John and Matty should have been there, and in that moment, they were. Thank you to every member of that team for loving John & Matty - and for making sure they were part of something historic. And thank you to everyone at @NBCOlympics and @usahockey for your kindness, your generosity, and for bringing our family to Milan to witness it. You gave us a gift we didn't know we needed.
With love and gratitude,
The Gaudreau Family"
Passing along this GoFundMe for Matthew Gaudreau’s wife, Madeline, and their unborn son, Tripp.
All donations will be directly sent to the family for Matthew’s funeral expenses and for the eventual birth of Tripp. ⬇️
https://t.co/j6rEdtx7TO
Touched on this briefly during the pod but we’re donating $25 to @V_Trocheck Movember mustache for every point he gets in November. We’re including the two points he already has. It’s a great cause so if you have some spare $$$ here’s the link. https://t.co/xwVLScfbj1
We will forever remember those who lost their lives 20 years ago, and we will always be grateful for those who acted bravely to help their neighbors and communities. #NeverForget