Meredith Gaudreau Recalls the Final Words She Said to Late Husband Johnny

Meredith Gaudreau emotionally reflected on her final moments with her late husband, Johnny Gaudreau, before his tragic death last year.

“He kissed all of us goodbye, just in the driveway of his parents’ house,” Meredith said in an interview clip shared by Good Morning America on Tuesday, August 12. “That was the last time I saw him.”

Johnny, a former star for the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets, and his brother Matthew, who played hockey with Johnny at Boston College, were stuck and killed by an alleged drunk driver in Oldmans Township, New Jersey in August 2024, the night before their younger sister, Katie Gaudreau, was scheduled to get married. Johnny was 31 years old, Matthew was 29. 

“John and Matty didn’t deserve that,” Meredith said. “Especially the way it happened.”

In her interview with Good Morning America’s Will Reeve, Meredith revealed her final private words to her late husband after giving her eulogy. 

“I just said to John that I would take care of our kids,” Meredith said, while wiping away tears. “I thanked him for such a great life.”

Meredith was joined for the interview by Matthew’s widow, Madeline Gaudreau, who explained the difficult grieving process in the year since the brothers were killed. 

“There’s no healing when you didn’t get a goodbye,” Madeline said. 

Madeline was pregnant with the couple’s first baby at the time of Matthew’s death. She gave birth to their son, Tripp, in December. 

At a memorial service for the brothers in September, Meredith revealed she was pregnant with her and Johnny’s third baby. She gave birth to son Carter in April. 

Meredith and Johnny also share daughter Noa, 2, and son Johnny, 17 months. 

In reflecting on her own final moments with her husband at the memorial service, Madeline remembered Tripp was “kicking a lot.”

“I just held Matt’s hand on my belly for Tripp,” she said, also wiping away tears. “I didn’t want to say goodbye to either of them because I know I’ll see them again one day.”

Sean M. Higgins allegedly struck and killed Johnny and Matthew with his Jeep while they were riding bicycles on the evening of August 29, 2024. He faces six charges, including aggravated manslaughter and reckless vehicular homicide. 

Higgins’ blood-alcohol level was allegedly .087, over the legal limit of .08. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. 

The full interview with Meredith and Madeline will air on Good Morning America on Wednesday, August 13, which would have been Johnny’s 32nd birthday.