Johnny Gaudreau quote resurfaces, "I want to make the Olympics," after Team USA gold tribute
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Daniel Lucente
Feb 23, 2026 (5:57 PM)
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Photo credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
Johnny Gaudreau's "I want to make the Olympics" line hit Team USA and Columbus Blue Jackets fans like a gut punch, because it was so close.
The quote surfaced in a graphic that's been bouncing around hockey social all weekend, and it lands different now.
It's Gaudreau talking to his dad in 2024, asking to "push it" when he got home.
Not for points, not for a contract, for the Olympics.
That's the part that makes your throat tighten.
It popped up in the post below.
"We really have to push it. I want to make the Olympics."
- Johnny Gaudreau
- Johnny Gaudreau
Gaudreau and his brother Matthew died on Aug. 29, 2024, struck by a car while riding bicycles in New Jersey.
Johnny was 31, and the sport has not stopped carrying him.
Johnny Gaudreau still drives the United States Olympic run
If you're a fan, you've felt that mix of pride and anger all week, proud of the love, furious at the reason.
Team USA kept his No. 13 jersey hanging in the room in Milan, like an extra stall that still matters.
On Sunday, the U.S. won Olympic gold against Canada, and the tribute got even louder.
Players skated the jersey, then brought Gaudreau's kids onto the ice for the photo.
That's what makes the quote so brutal, he was training for a roster spot that finally became real.
On the ice, he left 242-500-742 in 763 NHL games, and nobody replaces that kind of touch.
Now Johnny is gone, but the push he wanted is still right in front of USA Hockey's next era, and many generations to come will be inspired by him.
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