On June 12, 2025, Meredith Gaudreau, the wife of NHL star Johnny Gaudreau, penned an emotional and deeply personal essay titled “Before the Wedding” for The Player’s Tribune. In it, Meredith opens up about the devastating moment she learned that her beloved husband, along with his younger brother Matthew, had tragically passed away. The essay serves not only as an intimate recounting of her profound loss but also as a tribute to the love, family, and memories that Johnny and Matthew left behind. Through her words, Meredith offers a glimpse into the life they built together, the excruciating pain of losing both Johnny and Matthew, and the strength she’s found in the wake of this unimaginable tragedy.
Johnny, 31, and Matthew, 29, were both killed in a horrific accident last August when an alleged drunk driver struck them while they were riding bicycles near their hometown. The incident, which occurred just days before the wedding of their sister, Gina, turned what was meant to be a joyous family reunion into an incomprehensible nightmare. The wedding, an event that was supposed to be filled with love and celebration, was now overshadowed by grief and disbelief.
In the opening lines of her essay, Meredith reflects on the gut-wrenching moment she realized something was wrong before the phone call even came. “I knew something was wrong before the phone even rang,” she writes. That gut feeling, which all too many people can relate to, hit her with a force she never could have imagined. It was Johnny’s dad on the line. She didn’t need him to say the words. The weight of the situation was immediately clear. “Everything in me shut down,” she recalls. The raw honesty of this moment sets the tone for the rest of her story, which is not just about grief but about love, strength, and the preciousness of every moment that now feels far too fleeting.
In the essay, Meredith recounts her struggle to stay strong for their three young children, who were only months old at the time of the accident. Despite her own overwhelming grief, Meredith knew she had to hold it together for their children—yet, she writes, “I didn’t feel strong. I felt shattered.” The vulnerability she shares in these words speaks to the true nature of her pain. The loss of her husband and brother-in-law was not just a tragedy on a personal level, but one that affected their entire family. Her love for Johnny, as well as for Matthew, shone through every passage of the essay, and her reflections on life without them are poignant and heartbreaking.
Meredith’s tribute is not solely about her loss—it is also a beautiful celebration of the love and life she shared with Johnny. She takes readers back to the beginning, to the days when they met in college, their bond growing stronger as Johnny’s hockey career took off. She recalls the whirlwind of moving across the country and building a life together despite the challenges that came with Johnny’s demanding career. Through it all, their love only deepened. Moving to Calgary to start a family, and later relocating to Columbus, Ohio, Meredith and Johnny took these steps as partners, finding strength and growth in each new chapter of their life. “We didn’t choose Columbus because it was easy. We chose it because we could grow there—as parents, as partners, and as people,” Meredith writes. It’s clear from these words that their relationship was built on a solid foundation of love, trust, and mutual respect.
In addition to chronicling their life together, Meredith does not shy away from addressing the tragic circumstances of Johnny and Matthew’s death. With a rare blend of clarity and courage, she speaks directly to the senselessness of the situation. “One man made a choice that night—a choice to drink and drive. And in doing so, he took two incredible people from this world. He took a husband, a father, a brother, a son. I’ll never understand it. I’ll never forgive it,” she writes. The emotional weight of these words captures the anger, sorrow, and confusion that inevitably accompany such a preventable tragedy. Johnny and Matthew’s deaths were not only a personal loss but a loss to the broader community—both within the NHL and beyond. The grief extended far past the immediate family, as fans, teammates, and friends mourned the loss of two young men with so much life left to live.
The senselessness of this tragedy is compounded by the fact that it could have been prevented. Meredith’s call to action at the end of the essay is both heart-wrenching and urgent: “Please, don’t drink and drive. Don’t put another family through this. If you think one choice doesn’t matter—read this again.” Her plea is not just a request for awareness—it is a desperate cry to spare others from experiencing the same pain. The loss of Johnny and Matthew, as devastating as it is, stands as a stark reminder of how one decision can irrevocably change lives and cause lasting heartbreak for everyone involved.
As the essay draws to a close, Meredith reflects on the struggle of living through the unthinkable. She shares the small, everyday moments that still bring her closer to Johnny and Matthew. She talks about reading bedtime stories to their children, about the moments when she instinctively reaches for Johnny’s hand in the night, and about the strength she didn’t know she had until she had no other choice but to face life without them. “He was the love of my life. Still is. I talk to him every day, in quiet ways—when the kids are laughing, when I’m driving alone, when I see his jersey framed in the hallway,” she writes, her words filled with both sorrow and an enduring sense of love.
Meredith’s essay is a testament to enduring love, the power of resilience, and the profound grief that comes from losing someone you love. Her words honor the legacy of Johnny and Matthew, keeping their memories alive not just in the public eye, but in the quiet moments that are woven into the fabric of everyday life. Through her grief, Meredith continues to live out the love she shared with Johnny—a love that transcends time and space, a love that cannot be taken away.
In this heart-wrenching and beautiful tribute, Meredith Gaudreau offers readers a glimpse into her personal journey through love and loss. Her words are a reminder to cherish the moments we have with our loved ones, to hold them close, and to never take the preciousness of life for granted. Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau may no longer be with us, but through the love they shared, the memories they created, and the lessons they imparted, their spirits will continue to live on. Rest in peace, Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau—you are missed beyond measure.
The post Meredith Gaudreau’s Heartbreaking Tribute to Husband Johnny Gaudreau in Powerful Essay: A Story of Love, Loss, and Unimaginable Grief first appeared on Trusted and Verified USA News.
