The widows of professional hockey players Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau, who were pregnant at the time of their husbands’ deaths, have given birth to sons within just a few months of each other.
In December, Matthew’s widow Madeline announced on Instagram that their son Tripp had been born. Alongside a photo of her holding his hand, she wrote, “Mommy & Daddy’s world.”
Just a few months later, on April 1, Johnny’s widow Meredith gave birth to their son, Carter, on Instagram. “Carter Michael Gaudreau – same middle name as his daddy. 8lb 3 ounces, 20.5 inches – exact same as his daddy. He looks exactly like his daddy too,” she wrote. “I love you so much my baby! We are going to have so much fun. I can’t wait to give you the best life, my special boy forever. John, thank you for giving me our beautiful family. We love u, Daddy and miss you so much.”
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Last year, hockey fans were devastated to learn about the deaths of the Gaudreau brothers. While visiting New Jersey for a family wedding, the two went for a bike ride and were hit and killed by a drunk driver. After this, both of their widows announced they were pregnant.
Matthew’s widow Madeline was expecting the couple’s first child. Johnny and his wife Meredith had two children together, and at the time of his death, Meredith had not yet announced the news of her pregnancy with their third. She tearfully broke the pregnancy news during her eulogy for her husband:
John and I had the best six months as a family of four. These will forever be the best six months of my life. There’s specifically one week that I will cherish forever – it will be my favorite week of my life out of those six months. We’re actually a family of five. I’m in my ninth week of pregnancy with our third baby.
A total surprise, but again, John was beaming and so excited. I was so nervous because this was, again, a total surprise. But his reaction was just immediately kissing me and hugging me even though I was driving the car. After the initial excitement sank in, every time he looked at me, he would say, ‘You’re nuts, you know that? Three kids?’
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Madeline likewise said Matthew was thrilled to be a father, and couldn’t wait to welcome their son into the world.
“He was born to be a dad,” she said. “The moment we found out about our son Tripp, it consumed his every day. He was downloading apps, ordering books, finding the best diaper brand, making sure I had the best vitamins and asking for tips from John. I will never forget the tears he had in his eyes when he first heard Tripp’s heartbeat. I know Matt will surround his son for the rest of his life.”
