{"id":9185,"date":"2025-06-20T17:53:25","date_gmt":"2025-06-20T17:53:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/strongermarriages\/?p=9185"},"modified":"2025-06-20T17:53:25","modified_gmt":"2025-06-20T17:53:25","slug":"meredith-gaudreau-shares-how-she-learned-of-husband-johnnys-death-in-a-heartbreaking-letter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/strongermarriages\/2025\/06\/meredith-gaudreau-shares-how-she-learned-of-husband-johnnys-death-in-a-heartbreaking-letter.html","title":{"rendered":"Meredith Gaudreau Shares How She Learned of Husband Johnny’s Death in a Heartbreaking Letter"},"content":{"rendered":"
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@meredithgaudreau_ \/ Instagram<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When Meredith Gaudreau married NHL star Johnny Gaudreau, she thought they had a lifetime ahead of them. But everything changed in an instant last August, when Johnny and his younger brother Matthew were tragically killed by an alleged drunk driver while out riding bikes\u2014just one day before their sister Katie\u2019s wedding.<\/p>\n

Now, nearly a year later, Meredith is sharing her grief in an emotional letter published by The Player\u2019s Tribune, addressed directly to Johnny. Her words are raw, honest, and full of the kind of love that doesn\u2019t fade with time.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was going to be a great day,\u201d she writes, remembering the morning of the accident. Johnny, always a devoted dad, had made breakfast for their two young children\u2014Noa, now 2, and Johnny, now 1\u2014and spent time with the family before heading off to a golf outing with his brother. \u201cYou kissed all of us goodbye and said you\u2019d see us later. And that was that,\u201d she recalls.<\/p>\n

But not long after, Meredith got a call from Johnny\u2019s sister. \u201cSomething had happened,\u201d she was told. She rushed to his parents\u2019 house, expecting to comfort Johnny about Matthew. \u201cAnd then I walked up the front porch and learned the absolute worst had happened and that it was both of you,\u201d she writes.<\/p>\n

Meredith was pregnant at the time with their third child, Carter, who is now two months old. The grief hit her like a tidal wave. \u201cI was in shock,\u201d she says. \u201cI was keeled over for days sick to my stomach. It\u2019s completely indescribable.\u201d<\/p>\n

She remembers trying to process the pain while also thinking of Matthew\u2019s wife, Madeline, who had just celebrated a gender reveal with the whole family. \u201cI see her and my heart breaks for her. I\u2019m sick for her,\u201d Meredith shares. \u201cMatty made me laugh so much that weekend.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even in the fog of heartbreak, she had to keep moving forward. \u201cI had to go to the doctor for our third baby. The first of my appointments where you weren\u2019t holding my hand,\u201d she writes. \u201cI looked at Noa and baby Johnny and I felt a pain that I hadn’t felt before. Our two babies who have to grow up without their dad, without their amazing uncle.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite the loss, Meredith has been determined to honor Johnny\u2019s legacy. She\u2019s shared his memory online, attended NHL games, and even got a tattoo made with some of his ashes. But nothing can fill the void. \u201cI miss you every second of every day,\u201d she writes. \u201cMy love grows deeper for you each day too.\u201d<\/p>\n

To close her letter, Meredith says the words every spouse longs to hear and say: \u201cThank you for the very best years of my life. Thank you for making us a family. Thank you for being my best friend, my favorite person, the man of my dreams. I love you so much. Forever and ever.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her words are a beautiful reminder of the sacred bond of marriage\u2014of love, loss, and a promise that still endures, even in the darkest valley.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When Meredith Gaudreau married NHL star Johnny Gaudreau, she thought they had a lifetime ahead of them. But everything changed in an instant last August, when Johnny and his younger brother Matthew were tragically killed by an alleged drunk driver while out riding bikes\u2014just one day before their sister Katie\u2019s wedding. Now, nearly a year…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":462,"featured_media":9188,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fbia_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9185","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nMeredith Gaudreau Shares How She Learned of Husband Johnny's Death in a Heartbreaking Letter<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Meredith Gaudreau shares the heartbreaking moment she lost her husband Johnny and honors his legacy in a powerful letter of love and grief.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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