Excitement and anticipation turned to unfathomable grief in an instant when the wife of hockey star Johnny Gaudreau learned her husband and his brother, Matthew, had been killed by an alleged drunken driver last summer.

Meredith Gaudreau was on the front porch of her husband’s parents’ house when she was told he and his brother died after they were hit while riding their bikes on a Salem County road.

She was in shock. “I was keeled over for days sick to my stomach,” she wrote. “I couldn’t stand up. I was awake and having nightmares.”

• MORE: Man who admitted drinking before killing NHL star now wants his statements to cops thrown out

She had recently told Johnny she was expecting their third child. His sister was supposed to get married the next day.

And now the family was planning a funeral for the brothers.

Meredith Gaudreau shared her memories of the day of her husband’s death along with many joyful memories of life with her “dream guy” in a love letter she wrote to her husband to mark the first Father’s Day without him.

She presented thepersonal message to the world in an essay posted Thursday on the sports website The Players’ Tribune.

Johnny Gaudreau, 31, and Matthew R. Gaudreau, 29, were struck and killed on the evening of Aug. 29, 2024, as they bicycled along a rural road in Salem County.

Prosecutors say Sean M. Higgins, 44, of Pilesgrove, was intoxicated when he struck the men. He’s charged with aggravated manslaughter, reckless vehicular homicide and leaving the scene of a fatal accident.

As the court case drags on, the Gaudreau family is left to mark milestones — holidays, birthdays, anniversaries — without the two beloved brothers.

Johnny Gaudreau played 11 seasons in the NHL, while Matthew Gaudreau was a college hockey player and later a coach. Their deaths shocked the international hockey world.

The wives of both brothers were pregnant at the time of the crash.

Meredith Gaudreau, Johnny’s widow, later announced the couple’s third son, Carter Michael Gaudreau, was born April 1.

Madeline Gaudreau, Matthew’s widow, announced the birth of the couple’s son, Tripp Matthew, in December.

Meredith’s letter to Johnny begins with her describing the day they met in 2018. From there, she recalled discovering that the man she was dating was a hockey star for the Calgary Flames.

The couple’s lives grew intertwined and she remembered in her letter the big moments, including the day he proposed, the day they learned they were expecting their first child, and the day Johnny made the tough decision to leave Calgary to play for the Columbus Blue Jackets.

She also recalled the day she lost Johnny and the difficult journey that has followed.

As Meredith and Madeline Gaudreau navigate life without their husbands, they’ve also found time to honor the brothers’ legacies.

The widows are co-presidents of the John and Matthew Gaudreau Foundation, formed to promote and expand youth ice hockey opportunities, help hockey families facing tragedies and assist families affected by drunk driving.

“The Foundation’s purpose is to continue giving back to what the boys are passionate about and to ultimately continue to make a positive impact on the world in their honor,” the widows wrote on the group’s website.

The family also recently hosted the inaugural Gaudreau Family 5K Run, Walk & Family Fun Day in Gloucester County. The event raised funds for a new adaptive playground at Archbishop Damiano School in Westville.

The special education school serves students with cognitive disabilities. The Gaudreau brothers’ mother and sister work at the school and a family member was a previous student.

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In Summer 2024, Syracuse University’s Athletic department, in strategic partnership with Micron Technology, launched the STEM of Sports Academy; a pioneering initiative designed to

foster early interest in STEM education by integrating it with one of the most engaging cultural touchpoints among youth, sports.

The program serves as both an educational experience and a long‐term workforce development strategy, with a focus on students from Syracuse’s urban core and underrepresented

• Access and Inclusion: The program is intentionally inclusive, welcoming students regardless of prior academic performance or athletic participation.
• K–12 Pipeline Development: It initiates a structured engagement pipeline into higher education and high‐growth STEM career paths.
• Community Engagement: It strengthens the civic footprint and positions sponsors and Syracuse University as proactive leaders in regional youth development in STEM.
• Workforce Readiness: It aligns with national and state‐level objectives for STEM talent development, particularly in advanced technology and semiconductor sectors.

“This initiative makes STEM accessible by connecting it to students’ lived experiences. It’s a compelling model for community impact and workforce development.”
— Professor Cindy Smith, Curriculum Director, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Program Implementation:

In summer 2024, Syracuse University Athletics hosted three 1‐day, coeducational STEM immersion sessions at the Lally Athletics Complex. Each session welcomed 50 students, with

one day exclusively for female participants. Programming was designed and led by faculty from the College of Engineering and Computer Science, in collaboration with Syracuse student-athlete

leaders.

Core Activities Included:

• Engineering through Play: The Egg Drop Challenge taught basic design and testing principles.
• Sports Technology Labs: Students explored real‐time impact sensors and athletic performance software.
• Physics of Movement: Sessions in running and jumping mechanics connected physics to daily life.
• Mentorship and Exploration: Campus tours and student‐athlete interactions offered exposure to collegiate life.

“Students were not passive learners; they were collaborators, thinkers, and designers. It transformed how they view both education and career possibilities.”
— Salatha Willis, Associate Athletics Director

Quantitative Outcomes ‐ Key Metrics from 2024 Post‐Program Survey (98 responses):

• 91% reported increased interest in STEM disciplines.
• 87% indicated a better understanding of STEM concepts.
• 79% expressed interest in pursuing STEM courses or careers.
• The majority found the real‐world applications of STEM both relevant and inspiring
• Over 90% rated the instructors and student‐athlete mentors as highly effective.
• Participants engaging in the Egg Drop Challenge which measures impact while encouraging creativity and engineering.

The data confirms that when STEM content is contextualized through sports, students not only retain more, but they want to learn more. This level of impact was particularly notable given the
program’s inclusivity: no prior STEM or athletic experience was required, ensuring accessibility to all students regardless of background.

Future Programming Vision:

The STEM of Sports Academy is not an endpoint. It is the foundation for a scalable, multi‐year STEM learning ecosystem designed to serve students through high school graduation and into post-secondary and workforce pathways.

Planned Pipeline Progression:

1. STEM of Sports Day Academy + High School Visits (9th–10th grades)

2. Summer College Non‐Credit STEM Academy (10th–11th grades)

3. Summer College STEM for Credit Program (11th–12th grades)

4. Pre‐College STEM Internships (Graduating seniors)

5. College Transition Program (First‐year university support)

In 2025, 20 students from the 2024 pilot will receive full scholarships for the weeklong STEM of

Sports Summer College Experience.

Partnership & Investment Strategy:

The pilot year was made possible by seed funding and programmatic support from Micron Technology. In 2025, National Grid is expected to assume the role of primary sponsor, enabling

the program to expand while maintaining Micron’s critical involvement in mentorship and semiconductor career exploration.

“Micron’s partnership with Syracuse University Athletics and the College of Engineering reflects our commitment to inspiring the next generation of STEM leaders in Central New York.”

— Dr. Kim Burnet, Micron Social Impact and Community Engagement

The UMass hockey team’s 2025-26 roster continues to take shape as three more recruits were announced to be joining the Minutemen this past week.

Vaclav Nestrasil, A.J. Lacroix and Lukas Klecka were all confirmed as the newest members of the Class of 2029 by UMass athletics.

Nestrasil will begin his college career with the most hype of the three as the Prague, Czechia product will almost certainly be selected in this month’s NHL Draft and could even be chosen as high as the first round. Standing at 6-foot-6 and weighing 186 pounds, Nestrasil totaled 55 points in 86 games across two seasons during the regular season and playoffs with the United States Hockey League’s (USHL) Muskegon Lumberjacks.

“Vaclav is a right-shot forward that can play both center and wing,” Minutemen head coach Greg Carvel said in a statement released by UMass athletics. “He possesses an elite skill set at his size, has great vision and makes great plays with the puck.  He goes to the net and uses his size and ability to score goals around the net. Fans will enjoy watching Vaclav develop over the years.”

Nestrasil won the Clark Cup championship with the Lumberjacks this past season, along with incoming recruit Jack Galanek.

Lacroix is the latest recruit from the Brooks Bandits of the British Columbia Hockey League to make his way to the Pioneer Valley. Lacroix, who hails from Livingston, New Jersey, helped the Bandits to the BCHL championship by tallying 11 goals and 28 points in 44 games.

“A.J. is the type of kid you win with,” Carvel said. “He is a great teammate and is very coachable. He is a big power forward who can really shoot the puck and can play in a lot of different situations on the ice. A.J. has spent time playing in the top junior leagues in North America and has had success at every level. His on-ice ability and high character off the ice will be a great addition to our forward group next season.”

Cale Makar, most notably, played his junior hockey with the Bandits before suiting up for the Minutemen in 2017-18.

Klecka was the first of the three names to be announced this week and the Bratislava, Slovakia native will cross the Atlantic Ocean for his first taste of North American hockey when he arrives in Amherst this fall.

Klecka put up impressive numbers over three seasons with Södertälje SK J20 in Sweden, securing 104 points in 144 career games. Klecka was also teammates with current Minuteman forward Daniel Jencko on the Slovakian World Junior Championship team this past winter in Ottawa.

“Lukas played this past season in Sweden and featured on the Slovakian World Junior team,” Carvel said. “He will bring a lot of pace, skill and compete to our team next season.”

UMass’ incoming freshman class is up to six names as of Friday afternoon, with five of them being forwards.

Injuries force Michael Cameron to retire

In an unexpected update, UMass hockey’s sports information director, Jillian Jakuba, confirmed on Twitter/X that Michael Cameron will not return to the Minutemen next season, citing “a medical retirement.”

Cameron is not listed on UMass’ 2025-26 roster on its website and Jakuba clarified the rising senior’s future status when one fan suggested the omission was an error.

Cameron dealt with multiple injuries in 2024-25 and missed the final 11 games after suffering an injury at Boston College on February 14.

In 87 career games with the Minutemen, Cameron compiled 29 points.

ADRIAN, Mich. – The Adrian College Men’s ACHA Division 1 hockey program has revealed the team’s upcoming schedule for the 2025-2026 season.

After finishing with a total record of 32-4-2 and a conference record of 10-0 in 2024-25, the Bulldogs collected the program’s thirteenth Conference Regular Season crown and ninth Conference Playoff championship. To add to their historical success, Adrian captured the inaugural GL6 Conference Playoff Championship last season, defeating Calvin University on home ice. The Bulldogs later went on to the 2025 ACHA Men’s Division 1 National Tournament in St. Louis, Missouri where they defeated No. 11 Calvin University, No. 3 Ohio University, and No. 1 Minot State University before making their third consecutive appearance in the national championship game, where they eventually fell to No. 2 UNLV.

The 2025-26 agenda begins with an exhibition scrimmage at the Arrington Ice Arena on Tuesday, September 9 when the Bulldogs will take on the USPHL’s Toledo Cherokee at 7:30 PM. The official start to the regular season will begin during Adrian College Homecoming Week, on the road against Trine University of ACHA Men’s Division 2 on September 18. The Bulldogs will then return home on Friday, September 19 to the Arrington Ice Arena to take on the Thunder again at 7:00 PM for the team’s home opener and the beginning of a ten-game home-stand. A week later, the Bulldogs welcome Northwood University to the Arrington Ice Arena for a two-game set on September 25-26, before home weekends against the University of Pittsburgh (10/3-4), Liberty University (10/10-11), and Syracuse University (10/17-18), before beginning a home-and-home series with Ohio University on October 23-24. The Bulldogs will then continue at home through October and into November, hosting Saginaw Valley State University (10/29-30) and Niagara University (11/6-7).

The Great Lakes Six Hockey Conference (GL6) will enter its second season of existence in 2025-26, with the original six members competing, along with the addition of a seventh school in Hope College, who will be transitioning from ACHA Division 3 to Division 1. The Bulldogs kick-off conference play by traveling to Roosevelt University on November 14-15, and will continue the conference slate with home-and-home match-ups against Davenport (11/20-21), Purdue Northwest (12/4-5), Hope College (1/15-16), Calvin University (1/22-23), and Grand Valley State University (2/12-13) before the conference playoff tournament takes place February 17-20. The GL6 Conference Playoff Tournament site is to be determined.

Other key contests on the 2025-26 schedule include the team’s annual trip to Lynchburg, Virginia where the Bulldogs will battle long-time rival, Liberty University. Those two contests will take place January 30-31 and will be streamed live on ESPN+. After returning from Viriginia, the Bulldogs will then take on the University of Toledo in a home-and-home series on February 5-6.

We are really happy with how this year’s schedule came out,” stated Head Coach, Gary Astalos. “We have added a few national qualifying teams to this year’s schedule with the hopes that this will significantly increase our strength of schedule points in the national rankings.”

The Bulldogs will be hosting two Adrian Over Thirty Hockey Association (AOTHA) and Adrian Youth Hockey Association (AYHA) Nights during the season at the AIA, with the first one on September 26 versus Northwood University and the second on January 22 versus Calvin University. In addition, a Military Appreciation Night will be held on October 10 when the Bulldogs face-off against rival Liberty University at home. On February 5, the Bulldogs will honor their Senior Class of 2026 in a Senior Night ceremony ahead of a 7:00 PM game against the University of Toledo at the Arrington Ice Arena.

 

Upon the completion of the 2025-26 regular season and the 2026 GL6 Conference Playoff Tournament, the Bulldogs will then prepare for the 2026 ACHA National Championships, set to be hosted in St. Louis, Missouri from March 12-17 at the Centene Community Ice Center. 2026 will mark the fourth time since 2022 that the ACHA National Championship Tournament will take place at the CCIC; the official practice facility of the NHL’s St. Louis Blues. Before the Bulldogs embark on their national tournament journey, they will host Indiana Tech University at the Arrington Ice Arena for a tune-up game at 7:00 PM on February 26.

To view the full 2025-2026 Adrian College Men’s ACHA Division 1 Hockey schedule, click HERE or visit the Men’s ACHA Division 1 Hockey page on the Adrian College Athletics website. For more on the Men’s D1 Bulldogs, be sure to follow along throughout the season on social media, @AdrianMD1Hockey.