Columbus Arena sings “Happy Birthday” to the late NHL star Johnny Gaudreaus Baby Son

Johnny GaudreauBaby son was showered with love on his birthday while attending a Columbus Blue Jackets game with his family.

When the NHL team met against the Chicago Blackhawks in a home gameup at Nationwide Arena on Saturday, February 22, the audience took a moment to celebrate Little Johnny’s first birthday. On one video Split on X, the arena can be fully heard together to sing “Happy Birthday” to the recently coined 1-year-old.

His adorable reaction to the sweet tribute was captured on the jumbotron. While the late NHL star’s wife, Meredith GaudreauWatched with a big smile, a woman sitting next to her held up the couple’s son as he exciting patted his hands. Both women seemed emotional when the audience ended the song with enthusiastic cheers for the birthday boy.

The tribute was particularly poignant when Johnny played two seasons with Blue Jackets after signing with the team in 2022.

Little Johnny was 7 months old when His father and uncle Matthew Gaudreau died In a bicycle crash in New Jersey on August 29, 2024, before their sister Katie Gaudreauwedding. Meredith currently expects her and Johnny’s third child, and they also share 2-year-old daughter Noa.

Saturday’s birthday tribute to 1-year-old Johnny comes just a few days after the audience on the USA-Canada 4 Nations Face-off Championship Game paid tribute to his convicted father. In the middle of the game on Thursday, February 20, the fans at Tribunen started singing, “Johnny Hockey!”

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Meredith reacted to the touching moment in a post X When she judged an ESPN clip of the tribute. “So emotionally to hear this around me,” she wrote.

“Continued to think about how I can’t wait to show these videos to our children one day,” she added.

Meredith’s sister -in -law Katie also shared a post about the song for her older brother Johnny when she reflected on how he could have played for Team USA if he had not died.

“A reminder of who should be here,” she formed a February 20 Instagram Stories Snap where she reworked a post from New England Sports Network with a photo of Johnny’s No 13 shirt on the screen behind ice cream.

“I first saw how hard John worked this summer with Matty and dad on the ice,” Katie wrote. “This has been such a difficult week because I know how bad he wanted to play tonight. Matty would have been John’s biggest support tonight. I love you both more than anything. ”

Earlier this month, Meredith celebrated his third child’s imminent arrival with a joint shower with some of her Blue Jackets family: Mounting women Kelly Labanc and Aleksandra merzlikins. The event was hosted in Cambridge Tea House in Columbus, with several other members of the Blue Jacket’s Circle presence, including Maggie JennerWife to Boone Jenner.

Meredith shared a series of photos of the celebration on social media, turned out to pose with the guests and offered a glimpse of decorations and sweets.

The expected mother announced her pregnancy during her deceased husband and brother -in -law Matthews Memorial service Back in September. “John and I had the best six months as a family of four. These will always be the best six months of my life,” she said during the service, according to ABC News.

“There is specifically a week that I will safeguard forever – it will be my favorite week in my life of the six months. We are actually a family of five. I’m in my ninth week of pregnancy with our third child,” She revealed and shared that Johnny “beamed and so excited” when he heard the news.