John Michael Gaudreau (born August 13, 1993) is an American professional

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice h ...

winger who currently plays for the Columbus Blue Jackets of the

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...

( NHL). He played for the NCAA Division I's Boston College Eagles from 2011 to 2014. Gaudreau was selected by the Calgary Flames in the fourth round, 104th overall, of the

2011 NHL Entry Draft The 2011 NHL Entry Draft was the 49th NHL Entry Draft. It was held on June 24–25, 2011, at the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It was the first time the Draft was held in the state of Minnesota since the Minnesota North Stars host ...

. Nicknamed "Johnny Hockey," he was the 2014 winner of the Hobey Baker Award as the best player in the

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

, and, during his first full NHL season in 2014–15, he was selected to play in the 2015 NHL All-Star Game and was a Calder Memorial Trophy finalist for the NHL's best rookie. He won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy as the NHL's most gentlemanly player for the 2016–17 season.

Early life

Gaudreau was born in

Salem, New Jersey Salem is a city in Salem County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the city's population was 5,146,

, and grew up in Carneys Point Township, New Jersey. As a youth, Gaudreau played for Penns Grove little league baseball, and played in the 2006 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a minor ice hockey team from

Hershey, Pennsylvania Hershey is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Derry Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is home to The Hershey Company, which was founded by candy magnate Milton S. Hershey. The community is lo ...

. He attended

Gloucester Catholic High School Gloucester Catholic High School is a co-educational six-year Roman Catholic high school located in Gloucester City, in Camden County, New Jersey. The school is managed by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden. The school serves students in se ...

Gloucester City, New Jersey Gloucester City is a city in Camden County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 U.S. census, the city's population was 11,456,Delaware River from

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

. He graduated from Dubuque Senior High School in

Dubuque, Iowa Dubuque (, ) is the county seat of Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, located along the Mississippi River. At the time of the 2020 census, the population of Dubuque was 59,667. The city lies at the junction of Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin, a r ...

Playing career

USHL

Gaudreau played the 2010–11 season with the

Dubuque Fighting Saints The Dubuque Fighting Saints are a Tier I junior ice hockey team playing in the United States Hockey League (USHL) and are based in the city of Dubuque, Iowa, on the banks of the Mississippi River at the border intersects of Iowa, Illinois, and W ...

in the United States Hockey League (USHL), where he played in the 2011 USHL All-Star Game and helped his team win the Clark Cup as the USHL champions. Gaudreau's outstanding play during the season was rewarded with him being selected to the USHL All-Rookie Team and to the All-USHL Second Team. He was also recognized as the USHL Rookie of the Year. Gaudreau was selected in the 4th round, 104th overall, in the

by the Calgary Flames. Listed at 5'6", Gaudreau was one of the shortest players taken at the Draft.

NCAA

After attending the Calgary Flames’ training camp ahead of the 2011–12 season, Gaudreau started his career in the

with the Division I Boston College Eagles team in the Hockey East conference. He originally signed a Letter of Intent to play with Hockey East rival Northeastern University, but opted for Boston College when Northeastern Hockey head coach

Greg Cronin Greg Cronin (born June 2, 1963) is an American professional ice hockey coach and current head coach of the Colorado Eagles of the AHL. Prior to joining the Eagles in 2018, Cronin held coaching positions with the New York Islanders and Toronto Map ...

resigned in June 2011 to take a position with the NHL's

Toronto Maple Leafs The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Div ...

. As a freshman at Boston College, Gaudreau scored 21 goals and 23 assists (44 points) in 44 games, leading all freshmen in scoring. He played an integral part in Boston College's win in the team's National Championship, scoring a highlight-reel goal late in the third period in their 4–1 win in the final over Ferris State University. Gaudreau was awarded the Bill Flynn Trophy as the Most Valuable Player of the Hockey East Championship Tournament. He also helped the Eagles win the traditional Beanpot Tournament for the third year in a row and was named Beanpot MVP after the tournament. In his sophomore campaign, Gaudreau emerged as the star of the team and improved upon his already impressive stats, achieving a 21–30–51 scoring line in 35 games, leading the nation in points per game, at 1.46. He then led the Eagles to a fourth consecutive Beanpot championship after helping to win a gold medal for the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

at the 2013 World Juniors. Despite losing to archrival Boston University in the Hockey East tournament semi-finals and bowing out of the NCAA tournament in the first round against Union College, he was awarded Hockey East Player of the Year and was named an ACHA First Team All-American for his tremendous offensive output. On April 3, 2013, Gaudreau was named one of the three finalists for the 2013 Hobey Baker Award, along with Eric Hartzell and Drew LeBlanc.2013 Hobey Hat Trick
, Hobey Baker Memorial Award Foundation website. Accessed February 23, 2015. St. Cloud State's Drew LeBlanc eventually won the award. Gaudreau opted to remain at Boston College for his junior year, despite rumors of him turning professional and joining the Calgary Flames. One of the main reasons he stayed, he claimed, was to play with his younger brother Matthew, who joined the team in the fall. Gaudreau's decision to remain was fortunate for Boston College, as he dominated the NCAA in every major scoring category, scoring 36 goals and 44 assists for 80 points in 40 games, a 2.00 point per game pace, the highest production by any player in the country since 2003. After a 5–4 Eagles loss to Holy Cross in November, Gaudreau was paired up with Bill Arnold and Kevin Hayes on a line, which quickly became collegiate hockey's most offensively-potent line, producing 46 goals and 68 assists for 114 points as a trio. In addition, Gaudreau tied

Paul Kariya Paul Tetsuhiko Kariya (born October 16, 1974) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey winger who played 15 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). Known as a skilled and fast-skating offensive player, he played in the NHL for the Might ...

's record for the Hockey East single season scoring streak at 31 games, scoring 29 goals and 61 points during the span. For his tremendous season, he was named the league's Player of the Year for the second straight season, as well as the league's scoring champion with 36 points in 20 games, and was named a unanimous First-Team All-Star. He was also named a Hobey Baker top ten finalist on March 20 and a top three "Hobey Hat Trick" finalist for the second-straight year on April 2. Although the team lost to Union College in the Frozen Four on April 11, Gaudreau was named the 2014 recipient of the Hobey Baker Award, awarded to the NCAA's top ice hockey player.

Calgary Flames

2013–14

Gaudreau entered the NHL on the same day of his receiving of the Hobey Baker award. On April 11, 2014, shortly after the ceremony, Gaudreau and Eagles' teammate Bill Arnold signed entry-level contracts with the Calgary Flames, Arnold having been drafted by Calgary in 2010. Both made their NHL debut in the Flames' final game of the 2013–14 season, against the Vancouver Canucks. Gaudreau scored the Flames' only goal on his first shot of his first professional game.

2014–15

To begin the 2014–15 season, Gaudreau earned a spot on the Flames' roster to continue his NHL career. Starting off slowly, Gaudreau did not record a point until the sixth game of the year. However, he then heated up quickly, amassing 12 goals and 30 points through 37 games. He scored his first career NHL

hat-trick A hat-trick or hat trick is the achievement of a generally positive feat three times in a match, or another achievement based on the number three. Origin The term first appeared in 1858 in cricket, to describe H. H. Stephenson taking three wic ...

against

Jonathan Quick Jonathan Douglas Quick (born January 21, 1986) is an American professional ice hockey goaltender for the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League (NHL). Quick was selected in the third round, 72nd overall, by Los Angeles at the 2005 NHL ...

on December 22, 2014, in a 4–3 comeback win over the

Los Angeles Kings The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference and was founded on June 5, 1967, after Jack Kent ...

, becoming the youngest Flames player to record a hat-trick since

Joe Nieuwendyk Joseph Nieuwendyk ( ; born September 10, 1966) is a Canadian former National Hockey League (NHL) player. He was a second round selection of the Calgary Flames, 27th overall, at the 1985 NHL Entry Draft and played 20 seasons for the Flames, Dall ...

in the 1987–88 season. Gaudreau was selected to play in the 2015 NHL All-Star Game in Columbus,

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

, on January 25, 2015, and participated in the Skills Competition, garnering attention with

Jakub Voráček Jakub Voráček (; born 15 August 1989) is a Czech professional ice hockey right winger who plays for the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League (NHL). Voráček was drafted seventh overall by the Blue Jackets at the 2007 NHL Entr ...

for their antics during the shootout challenge. The shootout move, which imitated the previous move performed by

Ryan Johansen Ryan Johansen (born July 31, 1992) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre and alternate captain for the Nashville Predators of the National Hockey League (NHL). Growing up, he played minor hockey in the Greater Vancouver area until joining ...

(who helped seven-year-old Cole Vogt, the son of Columbus Blue Jackets trainer Mike Vogt, score a goal on

Corey Crawford Corey Crawford (born December 31, 1984) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. Nicknamed "Crow" by teammates and fans, he played his entire professional career with the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League (NHL), w ...

) went viral. Voráček, who went immediately after Johansen, "helped" Gaudreau score a goal in the same manner as Johansen did with Vogt, making fun of Gaudreau's size and youth, as his small stature in comparison to other NHLers lead some to believe he looks like a child. Gaudreau was originally named to the All-Star Skills Competition Rookie Team, limited to only the competition portion, but was promoted to the All-Star Game itself as a replacement to

Sidney Crosby Sidney Patrick Crosby (born August 7, 1987) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre and captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL). Nicknamed "Sid the Kid" and dubbed " The Next One", he was selected first o ...

, who could not play due to injury. Gaudreau was named to Team Toews and recorded two assists in the game, both on goals scored by the

Nashville Predators The Nashville Predators (commonly referred to as the Preds) are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference, and ha ...

Filip Forsberg Carl Filip Anton Forsberg (; born 13 August 1994) is a Swedish professional ice hockey player and alternate captain for the Nashville Predators of the National Hockey League (NHL). Forsberg was selected by the Washington Capitals in the first ro ...

. On March 11, 2015, Gaudreau scored his 50th point of the season, becoming the first Flames rookie to reach the mark since Jarome Iginla in 1996–97. Gaudreau finished the regular season tied for the rookie scoring lead with Mark Stone of the

Ottawa Senators The Ottawa Senators (french: Sénateurs d'Ottawa), officially the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club and colloquially known as the Sens, are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a membe ...

. Gaudreau had 24 goals and led all rookies with 40 assists, while Stone had 26 goals. He was a finalist for the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL's best rookie, but the award went to

Aaron Ekblad Aaron Ekblad (born February 7, 1996) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman and alternate captain for the Florida Panthers in the National Hockey League (NHL). Ekblad was selected first overall in the 2011 Ontario Hockey League (OHL) e ...

of the Florida Panthers, with Gaudreau finishing third. He was named to the NHL's All-Rookie team for the 2014–15 season.

2015–16

The 2015–16 season was a banner year for Gaudreau, as the sophomore set career highs in goals, assists and points en route to finishing tied for sixth among all NHL players in total points. For the second straight year, Gaudreau participated in the NHL All-Star Game, the 61st in NHL history. Gaudreau was selected as a finalist to be the All-Star Game MVP, an honor eventually given to controversial and unlikely write-in candidate John Scott. However, Gaudreau's Flames failed to live up to high expectations bestowed upon them after their surprisingly successful 2014–15 season, finishing 26th in the NHL and missing the

Stanley Cup playoffs The Stanley Cup playoffs (french: Les séries éliminatoires de la Coupe Stanley) is an elimination tournament in the National Hockey League (NHL) consisting of four rounds of best-of-seven series to determine the league champion and the winner ...

for the sixth time in seven seasons.

2016–17

Gaudreau missed the entirety of the Flames' training camp due to a contract dispute. On October 10, 2016, two days before the Flames' season opener, Gaudreau signed a six-year, $40.5 million contract worth $6.75 million annually. On November 16, 2016, in a game against the

Minnesota Wild The Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The Wild competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference and play their home games at the Xcel Ener ...

, Gaudreau suffered a finger fracture. He had surgery the following day. Despite speculation he would miss up to six weeks of the season, Gaudreau returned after ten games. Gaudreau finished the season with 61 points in 72 games, leading the Flames in scoring. Gaudreau also recorded two assists in four games during the team's first round matchup against the Anaheim Ducks in the 2017 playoffs.

2017–18

Gaudreau set a career-high in points scored during the 2017–18 season, leading the Flames and finishing top-20 in the NHL with 84; his 60 assists finished within the top-10 for the category. He was named an NHL All-Star for the fourth consecutive year, but would not participate in the

playoffs The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eit ...

as the Flames came up short of a late-season push for the last wild card spot in the Western Conference.

2018–19

The 2018–19 season proved to be Gaudreau's best regular season to date. He finished with a career best 99 points, including career highs in goals (36), assists (63), and points (99). He was tied for seventh place in league scoring. The Flames won the Pacific Division, and were the Western Conference's top seed heading into the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs. Gaudreau finished fourth in voting for the

Hart Memorial Trophy The Hart Memorial Trophy, originally known as the Hart Trophy, is an annual award for the most valuable player in the National Hockey League (NHL), voted by the members of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association. The original trophy was dona ...

, awarded by the

Professional Hockey Writers' Association The Professional Hockey Writers Association (PHWA) is a North American professional association for ice hockey sports journalism, journalists writing for newspapers, magazines and websites. The PHWA was founded in 1967 and has approximately 180 vot ...

to the league's most valuable player. However, in the first round of the playoffs, the Flames lost to the

Colorado Avalanche The Colorado Avalanche (colloquially known as the Avs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference. The Avalanche play thei ...

. Gaudreau managed only one point, an assist, in the five-game series, which was singled out as a key weakness for the Flames in the postseason.

2019–20

Following his success in 2018–19, Gaudreau had a disappointing season, hitting career lows of only 18 goals and 40 assists in 70 games. The onset of the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

lead to the regular season being prematurely halted in March. The NHL eventually arranged to hold the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs in a bubble in Edmonton and Toronto. The Flames had been eighth in the Western Conference at the time the regular season was suspended, and so played the ninth-place Winnipeg Jets in a special qualifying round. In Game 1 of the series, Gaudreau scored his first playoff goal since 2015, helping the Flames win the game 4–1. After ousting the Jets 3–1 in the qualifying round, the Flames faced the

Dallas Stars The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference, and were founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minne ...

in the first round. Gaudreau again struggled to produce in the playoffs, and the Flames lost the series four games to two.

2020–21

Due to the ongoing pandemic, the NHL realigned its divisions temporarily for a shortened season. To eliminate cross-border travel, all seven Canadian teams played in the North Division. The year began slowly for Gaudreau, and further difficulties arose when coach Geoff Ward was replaced midway through the season by

Darryl Sutter Darryl John Sutter (born August 19, 1958) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and current head coach of the Calgary Flames. He is one of seven Sutter brothers, six of whom made the NHL ( Brent, Brian, Darryl, Duane, Rich, and ...

. Adjusting to Sutter's style was challenging, and Gaudreau posted only seven points in a span of fifteen games following the switch. However, his scoring improved dramatically during the final months of the regular season, alongside general improvement of the team. He recorded his 300th career assist on a goal by teammate Sam Bennett in a game against the Edmonton Oilers. Gaudreau again lead the Flames in goals (19) and assists (30) during the regular season. The Flames did not qualify for the 2021 Stanley Cup playoffs, coming four points short of the

Montreal Canadiens The Montreal CanadiensEven in English, the French spelling is always used instead of ''Canadians''. The French spelling of ''Montréal'' is also sometimes used in the English media. (french: link=no, Les Canadiens de Montréal), officially ...

for the final berth in the North Division.

2021–22

The NHL's divisions and format returned to their pre-pandemic norms for the 2021–22 season, the Flames' first full season on returning coach Sutter. It would prove to be one of the most successful regular seasons in team history, with Gaudreau at the center of its success. With centreman

Elias Lindholm Elias Viktor Zebulon Lindholm (born 2 December 1994) is a Swedish professional ice hockey player and an alternate captain for the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected by the Carolina Hurricanes in the first round (5 ...

and left winger

Matthew Tkachuk Matthew Tkachuk (; born December 11, 1997) is an American professional ice hockey winger for the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League (NHL). Tkachuk was selected sixth overall at the 2016 NHL Entry Draft by the Calgary Flames. Playing ...

, he formed one of the most dominant forward lines in the NHL, and all three members hit numerous personal and collective milestones over the course of the season. On April 12, he hit the 100-point mark for the first time in his career. Gaudreau scored his 40th goal of the season in an April 29 loss to the

, joining Lindholm and Tkachuk in this feat, the first time in 28 years that linemates had all achieved this, and only the fourth time in that span that a team had three 40-goal scorers. He finished the season with 40 goals and 75 assists for 115 points, finishing second overall in points standings for the Art Ross Trophy, behind only

Connor McDavid Connor Andrew McDavid (born January 13, 1997) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre and captain of the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Oilers selected him first overall in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. McDavid spen ...

. This was also the second-most points ever for a Flame, behind only Kent Nilsson (131) in 1980–81. Gaudreau's performance through the season lead many to argue that he should be a serious candidate for the

, though he was ultimately not a finalist, finishing fourth in the voting. The Flames won the Pacific Division and finished sixth in the league. The Flames drew the

in the first round of the

2022 Stanley Cup playoffs The 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs was the playoff tournament of the National Hockey League (NHL). The playoffs began on May 2, 2022, one day after the 2021–22 NHL regular season, and concluded on June 26, 2022, with the Colorado Avalanche winnin ...

, a rematch of the bubble playoffs two years prior, and a matchup in which the Flames were considered the favourites. In light of disappointing results in preceding years, Gaudreau's prospective performance was the subject of considerable speculation. The Stars proved a greater challenge than many had anticipated, largely due to an exceptional performance from goaltender Jake Oettinger. After falling behind 2 games to 1, Gaudreau scored the game-winning goal to help tie the series in Game 4, his first of the playoffs. His performance through the early games earned the praise of coach Sutter, who said he felt that Gaudreau had "taken that step" to perform as well in the playoffs as he had during the regular season. Gaudreau's second goal of the playoffs was also a game-winner, this time in overtime in Game 7, sending the Flames through to the second round for the first time in seven years. The Flames drew the

Edmonton Oilers The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton. The Oilers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. They play their home games at Rogers Place, which ...

in the second round, the first playoff "

Battle of Alberta The Battle of Alberta is a term applied to the intense rivalry between the Canadian cities of Calgary, the province's most populous city (since 1976), and Edmonton, the capital of the province of Alberta (since 1905). Most often it is used to d ...

" in 31 years. The Flames were defeated by the Oilers in five games, bringing the playoff run to an end. With the pending expiration of Gaudreau's contract, he was regarded as the top unrestricted free agent of 2022 by many, and whether the Flames would be able to re-sign him was a topic of considerable discussion. On July 12, 2022, the Flames announced that Gaudreau would not return to Calgary despite an aggressive internal campaign by the club to re-sign him, including a monetary package that would have made Gaudreau one of the highest paid players in the league. General Manager Brad Treliving described Gaudreau's decision as a "disappointing day, to say the very least," but noted Gaudreau's desire to move closer to his family, saying "I respect that fully. John has every right, and we have nothing but respect for John the player and John the person."

Columbus Blue Jackets

On July 13, the opening day of free agency, Gaudreau agreed to a seven-year, $68.25 million contract with an average annual value of $9.75 million with the Columbus Blue Jackets, accepting less money than offered by Calgary and comparable deals offered by the New Jersey Devils and New York Islanders to play for the club. His decision to sign in Columbus "stunned" the hockey world, both because it had not been among the most commonly mooted destinations beforehand and because Columbus had acquired a reputation as an undesirable destination for free agents. Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekäläinen expressed the hope that with the signing "we can finally get rid of the bullshit that this is somehow a bad destination, a bad city, whatever. Because it’s never been true."

International play

In 2013, Gaudreau was selected to represent the

in the 2013 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. He led the entire tournament with seven goals and tied for the team lead with nine points, as the U.S. won the gold medal. Highlighted by a hat-trick in the quarter-finals against the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...

and another two goals against

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

in the semi-finals, he was named to the tournament All-Star Team. In 2014, Gaudreau was named to the senior

team that played in the

2014 IIHF World Championship The 2014 IIHF World Championship was hosted by Belarus in its capital, Minsk, held from 9–25 May 2014. Sixteen national teams were competing in two venues, the Minsk-Arena and Chizhovka-Arena. It was the first time Belarus hosted the tournamen ...

Minsk Minsk ( be, Мінск ; russian: Минск) is the capital and the largest city of Belarus, located on the Svislach and the now subterranean Niamiha rivers. As the capital, Minsk has a special administrative status in Belarus and is the admi ...

, Belarus. He scored his first international goal as a professional in a pre-tournament game against

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

, scoring the second goal in a 3–1 victory. He scored in the first official game of the tournament, the third goal in a 5–1 victory over hosts

Belarus Belarus,, , ; alternatively and formerly known as Byelorussia (from Russian ). officially the Republic of Belarus,; rus, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Belarus. is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by ...

. Although the U.S. bowed out of the tournament in a quarter-finals loss to the

, Gaudreau finished the tournament tenth in scoring, with two goals and eight assists for ten points, including a four-point performance in a 5–4 win over Germany. In 2016, Gaudreau joined Team North America for play at the

2016 World Cup of Hockey The 2016 World Cup of Hockey (abbreviated WCH2016) was an international ice hockey tournament. It was the third installment of the National Hockey League (NHL)-sanctioned competition, 12 years after the second World Cup of Hockey in 2004. It was ...

, playing alongside other NHL stars from both the United States and Canada who were 23 years old and under at the time. He scored four points in three games, two goals and two assists. In 2018, Gaudreau was named to the American squad to compete at the

2018 IIHF World Championship The 2018 IIHF World Championship was an international ice hockey tournament hosted by the Danish cities of Copenhagen and Herning, held from 4–20 May 2018. The IIHF announced the winning bid on 23 May 2014 in Minsk, Belarus. South Korea made ...

. He scored one goal and eight assists during the tournament en route to a bronze medal for the U.S. On April 19, 2019, Gaudreau was selected to represent Team USA at the 2019 IIHF World Championship, held in Bratislava and Kosice,

Slovakia Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the s ...

Personal life

Johnny Gaudreau in Calgary Stampede Parade (43226870552)

Gaudreau's younger brother Matthew is also a professional hockey player and currently plays on the Reading Royals of the

ECHL The ECHL (formerly the East Coast Hockey League) is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Shrewsbury, New Jersey, with teams scattered across the United States and Canada. It is a tier below the American Hockey League (AHL). The ...

. He previously played for the

Bridgeport Sound Tigers The Bridgeport Islanders (previously known as the Bridgeport Sound Tigers) are a professional ice hockey team playing in the American Hockey League (AHL). They are the AHL affiliate of the National Hockey League's New York Islanders, who own the f ...

of the

American Hockey League The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental league for the National Hockey League (NHL). Since the 2010–11 season, every team in the le ...

(AHL) and their ECHL affiliate, the Worcester Railers. Gaudreau and his brother played together at Boston College during the 2013–14 season. His parents are Guy and Jane Gaudreau. Guy Gaudreau is a native of

Beebe Plain, Vermont Beebe Plain is an unincorporated community in the town of Derby in Orleans County, Vermont, United States, which extends into the municipality of Stanstead, Quebec, Canada. The village is divided by the Canada–United States border between Ca ...

. He played college hockey at

Norwich Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. Norwich is by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. As the seat of the See of Norwich, with ...

, after playing high school hockey at North Country Union High School, and was inducted into the Vermont Sports Hall of Fame. He settled in southern New Jersey and spent 11 years coaching hockey at Gloucester Catholic. In January 2015, Gaudreau filed a trademark application for the nickname "Johnny Hockey" in both Canada and the U.S. due to concerns people would abuse his nickname for their own marketing gain.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

International

Awards and honors

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gaudreau, Johnny 1993 births Living people AHCA Division I men's ice hockey All-Americans American expatriate ice hockey players in Canada American men's ice hockey left wingers Boston College Eagles men's ice hockey players Calgary Flames draft picks Calgary Flames players Columbus Blue Jackets players Dubuque Fighting Saints players Gloucester Catholic High School alumni Hobey Baker Award winners Ice hockey players from New Jersey Lady Byng Memorial Trophy winners National Hockey League All-Stars People from Carneys Point Township, New Jersey People from Salem, New Jersey Sportspeople from Salem County, New Jersey USA Hockey National Team Development Program players