“It was their dream,” Jane Gaudreau said her sons.
Johnny and Matthew died on Aug. 29, 2024, when they were struck by an SUV while riding bicycles near their hometown in New Jersey on the eve of their sister Katie’s wedding. Their deaths shocked the hockey community, and they have been honored since by retired numbers, a memorial 5K and more.
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FILE - Guy Gaudreau, right, the father of the late Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau joins U.S.A. team players Noah Hanifin (15) and Matt Boldy (12) on the ice during 4 Nations Face-Off hockey practice in Montreal, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP, File)
FILE - United States' Johnny Gaudreau, right, challenges for a puck with Latvia's Janis Jaks during the preliminary round match between Latvia and United States at the Ice Hockey World Championships in Ostrava, Czech Republic, Tuesday, May 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic, File)
FILE - United States' Johnny Gaudreau celebrates with teammates after scoring his side's third goal during the preliminary round match between United States and Germany at the Ice Hockey World Championships in Ostrava, Czech Republic, Saturday, May 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic, File)
Jane and Guy Gaudreau, parents of the late Matthew and John Gaudreau, attend the men's ice hockey semifinal game against Slovakia, during the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Friday, Feb. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Stephen Whyno)
An elite player a decade into his NHL career and the all-time U.S. leading scorer in international play, Johnny Gaudreau was on track to be in Milan for the tournament that wraps up Sunday when the Americans play rival Canada for the gold mdeal. Guy Gaudreau said USA Hockey was gracious enough to tell the family their oldest son was on the projected roster.
“He wanted to be on this team,” Guy Gaudreau said during the third period of the U.S. semifinal win on Friday night. “And it would’ve been nice if he’d been here.”
The U.S. is honoring the Gaudreau brothers with a tribute to them in their locker room at the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena. A blue No. 13 Gaudreau jersey hangs there as a reminder of the player known as “Johnny Hockey,” who was beloved by so many on the national team and beyond.
“It means everything — we all know he should be here with us," said Dylan Larkin, who played with Gaudreau at multiple world championships. "He should be with us. We love him, and I like that we continue to think about him and I wouldn’t imagine it any other way.”
Jane and Guy Gaudreau, along with Johnny's widow, Meredith, and their two oldest children arrived in Milan on Friday. The Gaudreau parents had been planning a trip to Las Vegas and initially hesitated after USA Hockey invited them to attend.
“Our two daughters, for 24 hours, they just kept at us: ‘You have to go. The boys would want you to do this. This would mean so much to John,'” Jane said. “It just means so much to our family, and we’re so excited to remember what our boys meant to hockey.”
The Gaudreau family connections to players on the roster run deep, from Boston College to the NHL. In addition to the world championships, Johnny played with Noah Hanifin on the Calgary Flames and Zach Werenski on the Columbus Blue Jackets.
“Johnny was close to a lot of guys in that room,” Hanifin said. "We know he’d be here with us, so we’ve been thinking about him and carrying him with us.”
Werenski said after he and his teammates advanced to the final that Meredith reached out to his wife a few days earlier to let them know they were coming.
“It’s great having them here, and it’s super special,” Werenski said. "We’re happy that we made it to the gold-medal game so they can watch that and be a part of it. It’s on us to make them proud.”
Not that it would have been much of a debate, but coach Mike Sullivan confirmed what management told the Gaudreaus: Johnny would have been on the team if he were still alive, based on his body of work and how well he has played in a U.S. uniform.
“He was one of America’s very best,” Sullivan said. “He’s just a good person on the ice and off the ice, and I think he’s an inspiration to our players to this very day.”
Players still talk about Gaudreau, and “all the stories are funny,” according to Charlie McAvoy, who played alongside him at worlds.
“Just an amazing person, just an infectious personality,” McAvoy said. "The detail, really, with our staff and our equipment staff especially to make sure that he’s always with us, little reminders of him in the room, and they just go a long way. You always see them. They’re just gentle. They’re right there. But we know that he’s always with us.”
Along with Johnny's No. 13 jersey is that number on the wall alongside Matthew's No. 21. It's similar to what USA Hockey did a year ago at the 4 Nations Face-Off, when Guy Gaudreau took part in practice as a guest coach.
This would have been Johnny Gaudreau's first chance to play at the Olympics after the NHL did not participate in 2018 and 2022. But it almost certainly won't be the last time his jersey hangs in the U.S. locker room at the game, a tradition that could continue for years to come.
“I hope so," Larkin said. "I sure hope so.”
AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics
FILE - Guy Gaudreau, right, the father of the late Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau joins U.S.A. team players Noah Hanifin (15) and Matt Boldy (12) on the ice during 4 Nations Face-Off hockey practice in Montreal, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP, File)
FILE - United States' Johnny Gaudreau, right, challenges for a puck with Latvia's Janis Jaks during the preliminary round match between Latvia and United States at the Ice Hockey World Championships in Ostrava, Czech Republic, Tuesday, May 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic, File)
FILE - United States' Johnny Gaudreau celebrates with teammates after scoring his side's third goal during the preliminary round match between United States and Germany at the Ice Hockey World Championships in Ostrava, Czech Republic, Saturday, May 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic, File)
Jane and Guy Gaudreau, parents of the late Matthew and John Gaudreau, attend the men's ice hockey semifinal game against Slovakia, during the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Friday, Feb. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Stephen Whyno)
LONDON (AP) — King Charles III’ s brother was under arrest. Police were searching two royal properties, and news commentators were endlessly discussing the details of a sex scandal with tentacles that stretched to the gates of Buckingham Palace.
So how did Britain’s royal family spend Thursday afternoon? The king sat in the front row on the first day of London Fashion Week. Queen Camilla attended a lunchtime concert, and Princess Anne visited a prison.
The decision to continue normal royal duties was more than just an example of British stoicism in the face of the monarchy’s biggest crisis in almost a century. It was the opening act of the House of Windsor’s fight for survival as the arrest of the former Prince Andrew threatens to undermine public backing for the monarchy.
After pledging to support the police investigation into his brother's friendship with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, the king stressed his intentions.
“My family and I will continue in our duty and service to you all,” he said in a statement signed “Charles R.,” using the abbreviation for Rex, the Latin word for king.
The simple fact that Charles made the statement showed the scale of the problem created by the arrest of the king’s 66-year-old sibling, now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, who was held for 11 hours and then released under investigation, meaning he was neither charged nor exonerated.
The event was so unprecedented that commentators had to reach back to the 1640s and the arrest and execution of King Charles I during the English Civil War to find a parallel.
Mountbatten-Windsor's arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office is shaping up to be the monarchy’s biggest crisis since Edward VIII abdicated in 1936 to marry an American divorcee, Wallis Simpson.
That scandal weakened public support for the monarchy, which did not fully recover for 15 years. The turnaround came only after Edward’s successor, King George VI, refused to flee Britain during World War II, demonstrating his solidarity with a nation ravaged by Nazi bombs.
Even before she ascended the throne, Queen Elizabeth II followed her father’s lead and publicly pledged her life in service to Britain.
But while the impact of Edward’s abdication lingered for years, the crisis reached a crescendo in a few days. And the solution in that case was relatively simple: Edward stepped aside, and his oldest brother took his place.
By contrast, the drama surrounding Mountbatten-Windsor is ongoing, with no end in sight.
The current crisis stems from revelations about the relationship between the former prince and Epstein that were uncovered when the U.S. Justice Department released millions of pages of documents last month from its investigation into Epstein.
Police have previously cited reports that Mountbatten-Windsor sent trade information to Epstein, a wealthy investor, in 2010, when the former prince was Britain’s special envoy for international trade.
At least eight U.K. police forces have said they are looking into issues raised by the documents.
Compared with previous royal scandals, "this time there doesn’t seem to be any clear route forward,’’ said Ed Owens, author of “After Elizabeth: Can the Monarchy Save Itself?” “There’s no blueprint to follow” in terms of how the monarchy and associated organizations deal with the allegations.
The last time the monarchy had to manage these kinds of questions was after the death of Princess Diana, Charles’ ex-wife. Elizabeth and Charles were criticized for failing to respond to the outpouring of public grief as tens of thousands of people swarmed to Kensington Gardens to lay flowers outside the late princess’ home. Some even called for Charles to step aside as heir to the throne in favor of his son William.
The queen later commissioned focus groups to better understand the public mood and determine why people felt so strongly about a person they never met. The crisis forced the royals to recognize that Diana’s common touch had connected with people in ways that had not yet occurred to the House of Windsor.
Those lessons have since inspired other royals, including Diana’s sons, Princes William and Harry, to be more informal and approachable.
But this moment is different, in part because it is taking place in a rapidly changing media environment at a time when people are demanding transparency from their leaders.
Moving forward also means facing uncomfortable questions about what the institution — and the family members themselves — may have known about Mountbatten-Windsor’s activities. The palace has sought to draw a bold line separating the former prince and the rest of the monarchy by stripping him of his titles, including the right to be called a prince.
In another blow for the former prince, the British government is considering formally removing him from the line of succession to the crown. Despite losing his status and his honors, Andrew remains eighth in line to the throne. That can only be changed with legislation.
Charles is the first monarch “that has to meet our expectations of figures in public life, which is to be accountable and to explain yourself,” said Craig Prescott, a royal expert at Royal Holloway, University of London. “And you always have to work to earn the support of the public. And that is a particular challenge when you’re facing a controversy such as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.”
Critics argue that the monarchy was slow to respond to the pressure, given that Mountbatten-Windsor’s links to Epstein have been discussed for more than a decade.
The best outcome for the monarchy is for the police investigation to focus solely on the information in the Epstein files and how that relates to Mountbatten-Windsor, said Peter Hunt, a former BBC royal correspondent. The worst outcome would be if police expand their inquiries to what the broader institution might have known and when.
"Were questions raised about his behavior as a trade envoy over those 10 years? Were they answered? What did people do about them?’’ Hunt said on the BBC.
And perhaps there's more to learn.
“Will there be files?’’ he asked.
A journalist looks at today's newspaper front pages in London, Friday, Feb. 20, 2026 after Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested and held for hours by British police on suspicion of misconduct in public office related to his links to Jeffrey Epstein.(AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Artist Kaya Mar sposes with the newest edition of his paintings for the media in front of Buckingham Palace, London, Friday, Feb. 20, 2026 after Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested and held for hours by British police on suspicion of misconduct in public office related to his links to Jeffrey Epstein.(AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Soldiers parade during Guard's Change at Buckingham Palace in London, Friday, Feb. 20, 2026 after Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested and held for hours by British police on suspicion of misconduct in public office related to his links to Jeffrey Epstein.(AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
FILE - Britain's Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as Prince Andrew, looks round as he leaves after attending the Easter Matins Service at St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, England, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)
FILE - Prince Andrew leaves St. Giles Cathedral after the arrival of the coffin containing the remains of his mother Queen Elizabeth, in Edinburgh, Scotland, Sept. 12, 2022. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek, File)
