When Team USA finally captured its long-awaited gold medal in a dramatic 2-1 overtime victory over Canada, the celebration was about more than hockey. It was about memory, love, and a teammate who should have been there.

Johnny Gaudreau’s No. 13 jersey — kept in the Americans’ dressing room throughout the tournament — was brought onto the ice for the postgame celebration. Then came the moment that left players and fans emotional: Gaudreau’s young children, 3-year-old Noa and 2-year-old Johnny Jr., were carried into the team photo, front and center alongside the gold medalists. Johnny Jr. had just turned 2 that very day.

For the players who knew and loved Gaudreau, the tribute felt inevitable. “This is for the guys who wore the jersey before us. Johnny Gaudreau especially,” forward Dylan Larkin said. “To get it done today, it’s just an unbelievable feeling.”

The loss still feels painfully recent across the hockey world. Eighteen months ago, Gaudreau and his brother Matthew were killed by a drunk driver while biking the night before their sister’s wedding. The tragedy stunned the sport’s tight-knit community — and Team USA’s roster included many players who had grown up alongside Gaudreau or shared the international stage with him.

Gaudreau’s connection to USA Hockey ran deep. He represented his country at four World Championships and helped win gold at the 2013 World Juniors. For years, he had hoped to compete in a best-on-best Olympic tournament. This was the stage he had waited for — the one his teammates now stood on without him.

So when Gaudreau’s parents, Guy and Jane, and his wife Meredith traveled to Italy for the semifinal and final, the team knew what they wanted to do. “We saw them up there and we wanted to get the whole family on,” defenseman Zach Werenski said. “So we figured we’d grab the kids. Special moment seeing Guy and Jane.”

The arena crowd understood the significance, too. As the celebration unfolded, chants of “Johnny Hockey” — Gaudreau’s beloved nickname — echoed through the building. It was the same chant heard during last year’s international final in Boston, but this time it carried the weight of victory and remembrance together.

Players said the tribute reflected how present Gaudreau remained in their minds throughout the tournament. Captain Auston Matthews explained that his jersey had hung in their locker room at both the previous international competition and these Olympics. “Just a subtle reminder that him and his brother are with us in spirit,” Matthews said. “We’re obviously thinking of him. Just felt the impact he’s had on so many guys in this room is special. He was with us in spirit the whole tournament.”

Werenski echoed that sentiment, saying the team had spoken openly about honoring Gaudreau with their play. “We talked about playing for him, making him proud and I think we did that,” he said. “This is something John would have been at.”

In the end, the Americans’ first gold medal in 46 years became something even more meaningful: a shared tribute between teammates, family, and fans to a player whose legacy extends far beyond the ice.

No. 13 wasn’t missing from the celebration. He was right where he belonged — at the heart of it.