Meredith Gaudreau has been waiting to tell the world about the foundation that will honor her late husband, Johnny, and his brother, Matthew.
On Wednesday, on what would've been Johnny's 32nd birthday, she and Matthew's wife, Madeline, appeared on ABC's "Good Morning America" to publicly launch the John and Matthew Gaudreau Foundation.
"We kind of spent the whole year really trying to take our time, do things right and we've already been able to accept a lot of donations," Meredith told NHL.com on Monday. "A lot of people have really spread the word, so we wanted to make sure we took our time."
It was less than a year ago when Johnny and Matthew were killed after being struck by an alleged drunk driver while bicycling in New Jersey on Aug. 29, 2024, one day before what was supposed to be their sister's wedding. Johnny, who played his first full eight NHL seasons with the Calgary Flames, was getting ready for his third with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Matthew, who would've turned 30 this past December, was preparing for his first season as an assistant coach for the Philadelphia Rebels of the North American Hockey League.
"He kissed all of us goodbye -- just in the driveway at his parents' house. And that was the last time I saw him," Meredith said in a clip of the emotional interview with Will Reeve posted by ABC on Tuesday.
The foundation, which officially launched in March, not only helps keep the memory of Johnny and Matthew going, it also gives back to the hockey community and the world at large.
"It was never lost on John or Matty how hard their parents (Guy and Jane) worked to get them to where they were," Meredith said. "John would always say he wouldn't have been able to have a lot of the resources he had if his dad wasn't his (hockey) coach. We thought we could give back to other youth hockey associations.
"Then we also wanted to help other hockey families facing tragedies and helping other families affected by drunk driving because unfortunately, at the end of the day, that's why we're here. John and Matty would always do little clinics together with kids. Once Matty was done playing he transitioned into coaching, so helping youth organizations is something that spoke to both of them."
A statement on the foundation's website says, "John and Matty made a tremendous and everlasting impact on everyone who knew them. In addition to their hockey talents, the boys were known for their kindness. The Foundation's purpose is to continue giving back to what the boys are passionate about and to ultimately continue to make a positive impact on the world in their honor."
Meredith, who is co-president with Madeline, said the possibility of starting a foundation was first brought up to her in the days after they lost their husbands.
"Obviously so many people wanted to help and didn't know how to help; I just saw it as an opportunity where their legacy was so impactful, their impact was so big and we had an opportunity to really do a lot of good," Meredith said.
The foundation's colors are in honor of the brothers: Johnny's favorite color, black, and Matty's favorite, bright green.
"I find myself always deferring to letting Madeline make certain bigger decisions and it just reminds me, that's how John and Matt's relationship was also," Meredith said. "John was really just, whatever Matty wanted, let him choose certain little things, so I like to do the same for Madeline."
Meredith said the support for the brothers and their legacies has been overwhelming.
"It's crazy just to see John's impact has pretty much reached worldwide," she said. "I have messages from people in Europe that just say they've always been a fan of John and they're so touched by the story or whatever. That's been so impactful to see and then just seeing everyone's support.
"A few of John's closest friends in the NHL have gotten married this summer. In lieu of wedding gifts, they asked their wedding guests to donate to the John & Matthew Foundation," Meredith said. "I didn't know they were doing that until it was already done, and I'm just so touched, so blown away. That generosity, that's crazy to me.
"It's so nice and it gives me that drive to really do a good job with this foundation because so many people have already helped so much, and we're just getting started."
