Meredith Gaudreau, the widow of late NHL star Johnny Gaudreau, announced the birth of their third child on Monday, seven months after her husband was tragically struck and killed while he was riding a bicycle.
She shared the news on Instagram, writing that the baby was born on April 1, and she revealed that he shares a lot of similarities with his late father.
“I had our third baby! 4/1/25 Another baby boy Carter Michael Gaudreau – same middle name as his daddy,” Meredith wrote in her announcement. “8lb 3 ounces, 20.5 inches – exact same as his daddy. He looks exactly like his daddy too.”
“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.”
In September 2024, Meredith revealed that she was pregnant with the couple’s third baby during her emotional eulogy at Johnny’s memorial service.
“We’re actually a family of five,” Meredith, referencing their two children, Noa and Johnny, said at the funeral held at St. Mary Magdalen Parish outside Philadelphia.
“I’m in my ninth week of pregnancy with our third baby. A total surprise, but again, John was beaming and so excited.”
She went on to add the sweet reaction her husband had when she told him she was pregnant again: “I was so nervous because this [pregnancy] 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?’”
“Noa, our oldest, hasn’t even turned two yet. In less than three years of marriage, we’ve created a family of five,” Meredith continued. “It doesn’t even sound possible, but I look at it as the ultimate blessing. How lucky am I to be the mother of John’s three babies? Our last one being a blessing and so special despite these difficult circumstances.”
The funeral for Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew Gaudreau took place 11 days after the pair were struck by an SUV driven by a suspected drunk driver, while riding their bicycles in New Jersey last August.
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The crash took place the night before John, 31, and Matthew, 29, were to be groomsmen at their sister Katie’s wedding.
Meredith’s pregnancy news came after her sister-in-law Madeline Gaudreau read her eulogy to husband Matthew and also mentioned being pregnant. Madeline announced on Instagram last June that she and Matthew were expecting their first child, a son, in December.
In December, Madeline shared another post after her baby was born. “Tripp Matthew. Mommy & Daddy’s world,” she wrote in the caption.
In February, Sean M. Higgins, the driver charged with the Gaudreau brothers’ deaths, asked a judge to dismiss his indictment in court documents that said the brothers were drinking before the collision.
Higgins was charged with two counts of death by auto, along with reckless driving, possession of an open container and consuming alcohol in a motor vehicle. In September 2024, it was reported that he had a blood-alcohol level of .087, above the .08 legal limit in New Jersey.
Higgins faces up to 20 years, a sentence that the judge said made him a flight risk.
Johnny Gaudreau was a fourth-round pick of the Calgary Flames in 2011 and made his NHL debut in 2014 just after playing his final college game. He was named to the league’s all-rookie team during his first full professional season.
He was perennially one of the top players in the sport and in 2021-22 set career highs with 40 goals, 75 assists and 115 points.
That summer, he signed a seven-year contract worth US$68.25 million with the Columbus Blue Jackets as the top free agent on the market. He made two more all-star weekend appearances, giving him seven total.
—With files from Global News’ Michelle Butterfield and The Associated Press
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