Johnny Gaudreau family dedicates adaptive playground for special needs kids
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The death of NHL star Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew was an unimaginable tragedy, but their family continues to do many acts of kindness on their behalf.
This week, the Gaudreau family helped dedicate a new adaptive playground for children with special needs at Archbishop Damiano School in Westville, New Jersey.
Name of the playground? “The Gaudreau Brothers’ Wings of Hope and the Chrysalis Corner.”
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“When the sign was unveiled, all I could think about was how excited the boys could be when they saw this,” said Jane Gaudreau, the brothers’ mother. NHL.com. “This school has been a part of our family for so long. I’m so proud that the playground is named after them.”
The playground was built using funds raised by the Gaudreau Family 5K. The first of the annual event was held last year, and the second was held last month.
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Johnny Gaudreau of the Columbus Blue Jackets watches during warm-ups before the game against the Carolina Hurricanes at PNC Arena on April 7, 2024 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Jaylynn Nash/Getty Images)
Gaudreau said the event raised “98 percent” of the funds to build the playground, complete with community construction.
Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau were killed when they were hit by an allegedly drunk driver while cycling in New Jersey in August 2024.
At the time, Gaudreau was playing for the Columbus Blue Jackets after spending nearly a decade with the Calgary Flames. Matthew, meanwhile, had played college hockey at Boston College, just like his brother, and went on to play in the AHL and ECHL.
Gaudreau was honored earlier this year at the Olympic Games in Milan when the US Men’s Hockey team, of which he was likely to be a part, won the gold medal. The team posed for a post-match photo alongside Gaudreau’s children wearing the number 13 jersey.
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U.S. ice hockey players celebrate in a team photo with Johnny Gaudreau holding his jersey after defeating Canada in the men’s gold medal game at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milan Cortina on February 22, 2026. (Geoff Burke/Imagn Images)
Sean M. Higgins, accused of killing Gaudreaus, faces six charges, including two counts of first-degree aggravated manslaughter.
Accordingly ESPNA motion to dismiss some of the charges was denied last month, and Higgins’ next court date is scheduled for June 16.
