Johnny Gaudreau's widow announces pregnancy during eulogy
Meredith Gaudreau eulogized John Gaudreau through tears that would not be held back, her stories punctuated by sniffles, even an occasional laugh about falling in love with a young man with a mohawk, and the immeasurable heartbreak over a life that ended “way too soon.”
She had more to share about her husband than tales of his modest start on ice and rise to NHL stardom — their family of four was soon to become five; she recently revealed to John he would be a father again.
“John and I had the best six months as a family of four,” she said. “These will forever be the best six months of my life."
Meredith Gaudreau announced at the funeral for her husband and his brother, Matthew, both killed when they were struck by a suspected drunken driver while riding bicycles, that she was nine weeks pregnant with the couple’s third child.
"In less than three years of marriage, we’ve created a family of five. It doesn’t even sound possible. But I look at it as the ultimate blessing. How lucky am I to be the mother of John’s three babies? Our last one being a blessing and so special despite these difficult circumstances,” she said. “Despite losing my husband way too soon, I still feel like the luckiest girl in the world to be his wife."
While speaking to her late husband, Meredith said, “I miss you so much, and I love you. You are my forever, and I cannot wait until we are all together again. Please watch over us.”
The brothers starred on the ice at Boston College, playing together during the 2013-14 season.
John Gaudreau, 31, starred in the NHL for 11 seasons with the Calgary Flames and Columbus Blue Jackets – scoring 243 career goals and amassing 743 points while making seven All-Star game appearances.
Matthew Gaudreau, 29, played professionally for five seasons after college.
Many NHL players, including Sean Monahan, Kevin Hayes, Seth Jones, Cole Caufield, Jack Eichel, and NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, were in attendance to commemorate and honor the two late hockey players.
Meredith Gaudreau got especially emotional when talking about the city her husband chose to play starting in 2022.
“To Columbus and our Blue Jackets family. I can’t describe how shattered I am that I don’t get more time in your amazing city with John.”
She recounted how the couple’s two children were born while her husband played in the city.
“The memories we made in Columbus as a growing family are the best years of my life.”
She called the pregnancy a blessing, yet the jolt from the disclosure at the Catholic church in the Philadelphia suburbs served as one more heart-wrenching reminder of the joyous futures lost when the brothers were killed in New Jersey on the eve of their younger sister's wedding.
“Everything was always John and Matty,” Meredith Gaudreau said. “I know John would not be able to live a day without his brother. He loved him so much.”
Matthew Gaudreau’s widow, Madeline, said through tears that she felt she was “trapped in a nightmare” she couldn’t wake from this past week. “I feel numb, angry, sad, blessed all at once.”
Madeline Gaudreau also is pregnant. The couple’s first child, a boy set to be named Tripp, is due in December.
“I’m so thankful God gave us a child, a little Matty to run around for life, to carry on his legacy. Tripp will know how much his father loved him, and I promise to do all the things with him we talked about,” Madeline said.
CNN contributed to this story.