Reasons Why Meredith Gaudreau’s Baby Son Won’t Compete in the 2026 Olympics

Meredith Gaudreau brought only her two eldest children, Noa and Johnny Jr., to cheer for Team USA’s men’s hockey at the 2026 Winter Olympics for one key reason.

“I felt so bad, [but] Carter didn’t have a passport,” Gaudreau explained during the Thursday, March 12, episode of Kylie Kelce’s “Not Gonna Lie” podcast, referring to her youngest son, who will turn 1 next month. “He watched from home.”

Meredith shares Noa, 3, and Johnny Jr., 2, with her late husband Johnny Gaudreau, who tragically passed away in a bicycle accident in August 2024 at the age of 31. Just prior to Johnny’s death, Meredith discovered she was expecting baby No. 3. Carter was born in April 2025.

In the wake of hockey star Johnny’s untimely passing, both Meredith and his fellow players have continued to celebrate his legacy. The American men’s hockey team even invited Meredith, her children, and Johnny’s parents to Milan for last month’s Winter Olympics. (Both the men’s and women’s hockey teams ultimately secured gold medals.)

“I was telling Noa, especially when we were in Milan, ‘These are all of Daddy’s friends, and I think if he were here, he would probably be on this team,’” Meredith mentioned in Wednesday’s podcast episode. “She knows some of the guys, and I said, ‘I think Daddy would be on that team. Those are all his friends.’”

Meredith explained to Noa that attending the Olympics was “a special thing [they were] doing” for her late dad.

“She sees his jersey and understands it belongs to him. At only 3, she deserves the credit, but she can read No. 13,” Meredith added. “She knows that’s for him, and [the Olympics team] was filled with his friends who also love and miss him, making this a special event for him. She is starting to feel very proud of that.”

After the men’s team triumphed over Canada in the gold medal match, the American athletes skated around the rink displaying Johnny’s jersey. They also brought Noa and Johnny Jr. onto the ice for the official team victory portrait.

“It truly meant the world to me when I saw it in the locker room. Once they won and revealed his jersey, that was a surreal moment,” Meredith recalled tearfully. “Suddenly, I noticed Matthew Tkachuk on his phone; my sister said, ‘Your phone is ringing.’ He called and asked, ‘Want to take a picture with the kids?’ I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, that’s so wonderful.’”

She continued, “I felt immense pride for John and for the guys who made it a memorable moment for my children [while] honoring John as they did. They had just won the gold medal; it was a lot for them to take into account in that moment.”