Meredith Gaudreau's Heartwarming Reaction as Erik Gudbranson's Kids Proudly Wear Johnny Gaudreau's No. 13

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Graham Montgomery
October 12, 2024 (6:40 PM)

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Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Erik Gudbranson recently posted a picture of his kids wearing custom jackets honoring the late Johnny Gaudreau, inciting a response from his wife Meredith.

It has only been about six weeks since Johnny Gaudreau was tragically killed in an accident alongside his brother Matthew. For most hockey fans, it feels like it has been an eternity since the tragic event as it has weighed heavily on all of us. Since then, we have seen countless tributes made to the Gaudreau brothers, including from Johnny's widow Meredith, who has made many posts honoring her husband since the accident.

Of course, no one has been more impacted by this than Johnny and Matthew's family, friends, and teammates. Among Johnny's teammates was defenseman Erik Gudbranson, who spent the last two seasons playing with him since he chose to sign in Columbus in free agency. Today, Gudbranson shared a post to his Instagram account where he showed his two children wearing customized jackets with Johnny's number 13 on the back as well as "Gaudreau" embroidered on the sleeves.

Meredith saw the post and left a comment saying, "Love these and love these little guys."

Over the past few weeks we have seen more and more players honor Gaudreau. Of course, Cole Caufield famously changes his number to 13 but we have seen so much more from players around the league. Flames rookie netminder Duston Wolf, for example, came to camp this season with a new mask, featuring Gaudreau on the back plate.

One can only imagine what Meredith is going through at this time. Hopefully the days will become easier for her as this tragedy moves further and further into the past. None of us will never forget what the world lost though, and no one knows that better than Meredith and the rest of the Gaudreau family.