Johnny Gaudreau's children join the US Olympic gold medal celebration

MILAN (AP) — Johnny Gaudreau's No. 13 jersey was hanging in the U.S. locker room throughout the Olympics, and Dylan Larkin and Matthew Tkachuk carried it around the ice after the U.S. beat Canada in overtime to win the country's first gold medal at the Games since 1980.

Then, the tribute to the late player known as “Johnny Hockey” went even further.

The oldest two of Johnny and Meredith Gaudreau's three children were in attendance, along with their grandparents, Guy and Jane, and they got to be part of the celebration. Larkin and Werenski brought 3-year-old Noa and 2-year-old Johnny Jr. on the ice for the team photo, which also had Gaudreau's jersey in it. To a man, players said he should have been with them.

“It meant everything," said Werenski, who assisted on Jack Hughes' golden goal in overtime. "This is something John would have been at. And to see his family here supporting us and seeing his kids, bringing them on the ice, we talked about playing for him, making him proud and I think we did that. Super special to see them and to have kids on the ice, he was a huge part of USA Hockey.”

Johnny and his brother, Matthew, died in August 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.

“He’s with us here in spirit for the whole tournament," captain Auston Matthews said. “To have his jersey out there in the team photo and have his kids come out and be with us, we’re obviously thinking of him.”

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. Guy Gaudreau said USA Hockey told the family that their oldest son was on the projected roster.

“He obviously would have been on this team — and been a huge part of it,” forward J.T. Miller said. “A guy I grew up with and against and knew pretty well. It’s more than hockey, at that point. ... He deserved better, and he had a big part in how things went down today.”

Larkin, who was also clsoe to Gaudreau, dedicated what is just the third U.S. men's hockey gold in history to Gaudreau and former USA Hockey executive Jim Johannson, who died unexpectedly just before the 2018 Olympics.

“This is for the guys who wore this jersey before us,” Larkin said. "All those people should be here. Johnny especially, Matty his brother. To get it done today, it’s just an unbelievable feeling.’’

AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

ADDS ID FOR CHILDREN United States players pose for pictures with the jersey of the late Johnny Gaudreau (13) as they pose for a photo with his daughter Noa and son Johnny after their win over Canada in the men's ice hockey gold medal game at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

United States' Dylan Larkin (21) holds Johnny, the son of the late playe Johnny Gaudreau while posing with teammates after a men's ice hockey gold medal game between Canada and the United States at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

ADDS NAME OF CHILD United States' Matthew Tkachuk (19) carries Noa Gaudreau, following a men's ice hockey gold medal game between Canada and the United States at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

MEXICO CITY (AP) — The Mexican army killed the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, “El Mencho,” in an operation Sunday, a federal official said.

The official, who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly, said it happened during a military operation in the western state of Jalisco.

It followed several hours of roadblocks with burning vehicles in Jalisco and other states. Such tactics are commonly used by the cartels to block military operations.

Videos circulating social media showed plumes of smoke billowing over the city of Puerto Vallarta, a major city in Jalisco, and sprinting through the airport of the state's capital in panic.

The U.S. State Department had offered a reward of up to $15 million for information leading to the arrest of El Mencho. The Jalisco New Generation Cartel is one of the most powerful and fasted growing criminal organizations in Mexico.

In February, the Trump administration designated the cartel as a foreign terrorist organization.

It has been one of the most aggressive cartels in its attacks on the military—including helicopters—and a pioneer in launching explosives from drones and installing mines. In 2020, it carried out a spectacular assassination attempt with grenades and high-powered rifles in the heart of Mexico City against the then head of the capital’s police force and now head of federal security.

The DEA considers this cartel to be as powerful as the Sinaloa cartel, one of Mexico's most infamous criminal groups, with a presence in all 50 US states where it distributes tons of drugs. It is one of the main suppliers of cocaine to the US market and, like the Sinaloa cartel, earns billions from the production of fentanyl and methamphetamines.

FILE - The letters "CJNG" for the group's formal name, Jalisco New Generation Cartel, covers the facade of an abandoned home in El Limoncito, in the Michoacan state of Mexico, Oct. 30, 2021. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo, File)