‘You loved being a Flame': Meredith Gaudreau reflects on Calgary years in Father's Day love letter to Johnny Hockey
Meredith Gaudreau, left, with husband Johnny and their two children, celebrating Johnny's birthday just a few weeks before he would be tragically killed after a car hit him and his brother while they rode their bikes. (Meredith Gaudreau Instagram)
A few days before Father's Day, Meredith Gaudreau penned a love letter to her late husband Johnny that included plenty of fond memories of their time together in Calgary.
The article, published Thursday in The Players' Tribune, is a loving reminiscence about her relationship with the former Calgary Flames star, who was killed along with his brother Matthew, struck by a vehicle while cycling on a highway in New Jersey before their sisters' wedding on Aug. 29, 2024.
Meredith's article starts at the moment the two met, when Meredith, who was working an all-night shift as a waitress at a Philadelphia diner, opened the door to discover Gaudreau, who she said, 'wasn't much bigger than me.'
'Hey, I'm Johnny,' he said.
Johnny Gaudreau
algary Flames left wing Johnny Gaudreau celebrates his goal on Minnesota Wild goalie Cam Talbot during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, April 28, 2022, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Craig Lassig, File)
He's there to meet his buddies and they all end up at a bar in Avalon, a beach town in New Jersey, where Meredith discovers that everyone gravitates toward John, who ends up buying 40 vodkas and sodas for everyone in the bar.
'And I was like, Who is this guy?" she writes. "I didn't know a thing about you.
'But without words, you said so much to me,' she adds. 'I just got to see you and to see the way people saw you.'
Eventually, she learned that Gaudreau was a pro hockey player.
'You told me about a place called Calgary,' she said. 'I'd drive to Philadelphia for my night shifts. Seven at night to seven in the morning. I'd come home, sleep for as short as I could, then I'd go find you.'
Eventually, Meredith googled Gaudreau and discovered who he was in Canada.
'Eventually I learned all about hockey, and how you were a good player. Sorry, John — but my first thought was, Really? You're not much bigger than me.
'One of the first nights after we hung out I went to YouTube. I typed in 'johnny gaudreau hockey,' and there you were,' she said. 'There were all these people in red, in Calgary, and you were their guy. I couldn't believe it."
'My cell phone wasn't working'
Her first visit to Alberta was also her first visit to Canada.
'I landed in Calgary and I didn't know what customs were, or why my cell phone wasn't working, or how I'd ever find your friend to pick me up,' she wrote. 'I was so worried, and then I remember looking at this billboard and there you were, number 13, in your Flames jersey. The coolest guy in town.
'I was thinking, What in the world…….. Where am I?"
That first night in Calgary, Meredith went to her first Flames game.
"You scored a goal,' she said. 'You were the first star of the night. I saw hundreds of people in GAUDREAU jerseys. It was all so surreal."
'You loved Calgary so much,' she said. 'And I loved that about you. You were so proud to be a Flame. You showed me around town with a big smile on your face. All your favorite spots, your favorite people.
'I liked hearing all the Alberta accents,' she added. 'It still cracks me up to this day. I think we walked every inch of that city together. Pretty soon I fell in love with it, too.'
Eventually, the two got married and Meredith moved to Calgary, where Johnny starred for eight years, but the pandemic kept them apart and it was difficult for all their various family members to travel to Alberta, so in July 2022, Gaudreau signed with Columbus to be closer to the east coast.
Along the way they had three children -- the youngest, Carter was born seven months after Gaudreau died on Aug. 29, 2024, which was also the fourth anniversary of the day he proposed to Meredith.
Gaudreau has been honoured in Columbus, Calgary, at Boston College where he played NCAA hockey, at his high school -- and at the world hockey championships, where the gold-winning USA team brought his jersey on the ice as a tribute when they received their medals.
Now, Meredith said their son Noa watches videos of Johnny playing hockey.
'You were humble, you were responsible, you were hard-working. You were the sweetest boyfriend, the greatest husband, and the best father,' she said. 'You wanted everything to be about me and the kids.
'You would have done anything for them. I know that. And they will know it, too. I promise, John."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Winnipeg Free Press
28 minutes ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Natalie Sue wins Leacock Medal for Humour for novel ‘I Hope This Finds You Well'
Natalie Sue's debut novel 'I Hope This Finds You Well' has won this year's Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour. The $25,000 award is given to the best Canadian book of literary humour published in the previous year. The novel follows the story of an office worker in her early thirties who one day stumbles upon all of her colleagues' private emails and decides to use their gossip to help save her job. 'I Hope This Finds You Well' was published by HarperCollins Publishers Ltd. Sue is a Calgary-based author of Iranian and British descent who spent her early years living in western Canada. Runners-up, who received $5,000 each, were Greg Kearney for 'An Evening With Birdy O'Day,' about an aging hairstylist who lost connection with his childhood best friend when he left to pursue a pop music career, and Patricia J. Parsons for 'We Came From Away: That Summer on the Rock,' which follows one woman's attempt to reconnect her family with Newfoundland. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 21, 2025.
CTV News
43 minutes ago
- CTV News
32nd Ottawa Dragon Boat Festival makes waves at Mooney's Bay
Ottawa's annual Dragon Boat Festival is taking place at Mooney's Bay this weekend. CTV's Camille Wilson caught up with some of the attendees. The annual Dragon Boat Festival is back for it's 32nd year in Ottawa. The event is the largest festival of its kind in North America, drawing teams from all over the world. This year's festival has about 145 teams with 72 cities participating. Along with teams all across Canada, paddlers competed in at least two 500 metre races at Mooney's Bay on Saturday. 'The community side is just incredible because it brings together all walks of life,' says John Brooman, CEO and president of the Tim Hortons Dragon Boat Festival. 'It doesn't matter whether you're a first-time paddler or if you're on the national team. People are just out here having a wonderful time. It raises a ton of money for charity,' It is one of the biggest sporting and entertainment events in the nation's capital and is part of a larger Chinese cultural tradition that goes back 2,400 years. 'I grew up with the Dragon Boat Festival as a kid in the UK and I really loved it,' said attendee Kyan Cheng. 'I really wanted to take my three-year-old son to experience it for the first time here. I've talked about it and it's part of our culture. He's just really loving it.' Ottawa Dragonboat Festival The Arctic Char Dragon Boat team from The Netherlands getting ready to compete. (Camille Wilson/CTV News Ottawa) Sandy Foote, captain of Fleet of Foote, says his team has participated in the event from the very beginning. 'This is our 32nd year at the Ottawa Dragon Boat Festival. We come every year and have a lot of fun,' Foote said. 'It's our biggest festival that we do. We do seven festivals every year. This one is the best one.' The festival is raising more than $250,000 for charity this weekend and has raised more than $6 million over the years. The two-day celebration also includes exhibitors, food, a Breast Cancer Survivor Challenge, traditional flower ceremony and dance performances. 'It's great to see such big crowds out for this type of event,' said Chris Bell. 'Lots of big smiles on people's faces. It's been a good, good experience.' There is free admission to all the races and free parking at the Canada Post parking lot. Races are every 10 minutes and will run until Sunday.
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Rock N' Field Day returns to Sask. RM for second year
Kids playing in the "Gold Mine" at the RM of Edenwold's Rock n' Field Day. (Sierra D'Souza/CTV News) The second edition of Rock N' Field Day took place in the rural municipality (RM) of Edenwold on Saturday afternoon. Rock N' Field Day saw local talent perform from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with many different ways for kids to keep busy, including a bouncy castle, face painting, fishpond, and sandcastles. While this year saw guitars take the stage, last year saw an accordion and a fiddle band. 'We get local talent to come on each year,' said Al Trainor, the reeve of the RM council. 'We had different ones last year and so we really want to showcase local talent as, as possible.' Expand Autoplay 1 of 5 RM of Edenwold Families are enjoying the RM of Edenwold's Rock n' Field Day. (Sierra D'Souza/CTV News) RM of Edenwold Families are enjoying the RM of Edenwold's Rock n' Field Day. (Sierra D'Souza/CTV News) RM of Edenwold Families are enjoying the RM of Edenwold's Rock n' Field Day. (Sierra D'Souza/CTV News) RM of Edenwold Local musicians playing at the second annual Rock n' Field Day. (Sierra D'Souza/CTV News) RM of Edenwold Kids playing in the "Gold Mine" at the RM of Edenwold's Rock n' Field Day. (Sierra D'Souza/CTV News) With local companies bringing in their farming equipment, it was a day for people to appreciate the role that agriculture plays in the Saskatchewan economy. 'We're really highlighting agriculture here,' said Trainor. 'The RM is a unique mixture of urban and agricultural. Obviously, agriculture is the backbone, that's where it all started, from here. We're proud of the farming heritage that we have.'
