Gut-Wrenching: Johnny Gaudreau's Widow Reveals She Is Nine Weeks Pregnant With Their Third Child

The death of Columbus Blue Jackets forward Johnny Gaudreau and his older brother, Matthew (a hockey coach), is without question the saddest sports story of the year.

There are so many layers to this narrative, the least of which is that the NHL lost one of its top performers and coaches after being hit by an alleged drunk driver (and even that is enough to make your heart break). The Gaudreau brothers were set to be groomsmen in their sister Katie’s wedding the day after their deaths, and Johnny specifically left behind an adoring wife in Meredith and two wonderful children.

Just stop right there and take a step back. That’s enough to make even the most hard-hearted person shed tears. In one tragic moment, countless lives were changed for the worse, and the repercussions are far-reaching.

Read: Montreal's Cole Caufield Announces Plan To Switch His Jersey Number To Honor Johnny Gaudreau

But just when you thought it couldn’t get any more gut-wrenching, it did.

Johnny And Matthew Gaudreau Shared A Bond

At today’s funeral held at St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church in Media, Pa. (which NHL players such as Cole Caufield and Patrik Laine of the Montreal Canadiens and league commissioner Gary Bettman attended), Meredith revealed one last piece of devastating news related to her husband’s death: she is nine weeks pregnant with their third child.

I can’t write anything that comes remotely close to accurately captivating how devastating this news is. So, instead, I will leave with what Meredith and Matty’s wife, Madeline (who is also pregnant), said about their husbands, and the special bond the two of them shared.

"God really did draft the best two boys,’’ Madeline said. "They slept in the same room up until college, and neither of them wanted that to change. John took care of Matty, and Matty took care of John. It brings me comfort to know they are still together forever, as they always were."

COLUMBUS, OHIO - JANUARY 2:  Johnny Gaudreau #13 of the Columbus Blue Jackets warms up prior to the start of the game against the Boston Bruins at Nationwide Arena on January 2, 2024 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images)

Meredith called Johnny her "soulmate" and said that the number of people who were there was proof that they made an impact on a lot of people.

"That they were noted on this Earth. That they were loved on this Earth. That they were valued on this Earth," Meredith said.

Again, myself and the rest of the OutKick family are going to be praying for the entire Gaudreau family as they deal with this unspeakably heartbreaking tragedy.