NHLPA: 'It means a lot' for U.S. to have Guy Gaudreau part of 4 Nations Face-Off

There is something natural about watching Guy Gaudreau in his USA tracksuit skating around Bell Centre ice with the rest of the United States players and coaches.

After all, the father of late NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his younger brother, Matthew, was a long-time youth coach and full-time hockey dad.

So being on the ice is kind of like being at home for Guy.

That he was sharing the ice with this talented U.S. roster, many of whom knew his sons well, made the moment all the more magical.

As the players and coaches came on the ice to start their practice, Guy skated alongside Noah Hanifin, who played with Johnny for the Calgary Flames and with Matthew at Boston College.

"He was just chatting and we were skating around the circle before practice, just talking about our curves and our stick flexes and stuff like that," Hanifin said. "He's just so passionate about hockey, he loves the game, and a lot of these guys on our team knew Johnny really well and we were good friends with him so he knows a lot of us, and we wish we could have him here the whole tournament."

The U.S., led by general manager, Bill Guerin, has taken great care to ensure that the brothers are well-remembered.

There's an excellent chance Johnny would have been on the roster. A jersey with his name and familiar No. 13 has moved from dressing room to dressing room with the team as it prepares for its first game at the 4 Nations Face-Off, against Finland on Thursday (8 p.m. ET; ESPN, ESPN+, SN, TVAS).

But the jersey and a dressing room stall reserved for Johnny Gaudreau are static. Having Guy Gaudreau join the team for a special dinner Monday night and then come onto the ice for practice and join the team for its official team photo, is a poignant reminder of just how much the boys' loss has touched the game of hockey.

It's also a reminder that sometimes out of grief can come something heartwarming and meaningful.

"It means a lot," Hanifin said. "I played with Matthew at BC and Johnny for all those years in Calgary, so I've known Guy for a long time, and they have such an amazing family.

"I think just to have him here and have him to dinner [Monday], get him on the ice with the guys and the coaches, I think it's something special. I know he appreciates it. It means a lot to him just because of how much he loves the game, he loves hockey, and yeah, we were really happy he was able to come and spend some time with us."

Dylan Larkin once spent a week with the Gaudreaus and was among the many from the hockey world who attended the brothers' funeral. He, too, was touched to see Guy in the mix with the rest of the team Monday.

"I know he's just been through the absolute hardest time,” Larkin said. "To see him on the ice today, at a time so difficult, to see a smile and to see him out there when Johnny should be out with us, it's first class by USA Hockey to do that. It means the world to me that they brought him in."

It's not the first time Guy Gaudreau has been on the ice with NHL players since his sons' deaths.

John Tortorella, coach of the Philadelphia Flyers and assistant coach for the U.S. at 4 Nations, brought Guy Gaudreau in to take part in a couple of practices early in the season. He also skated with Johnny's team in Columbus and his former team in Calgary.

"From our standpoint, it's an honor to have Guy out there," U.S. coach Mike Sullivan said. "Obviously the hockey world is, in a lot of ways, it's a small world and it's a family. With respect to the United States hockey world, it's very much a family. All of us feel a certain weight to support Guy and his family through a difficult time. His boys had such an impact on USA Hockey. They had such an impact on hockey in general. To have Guy out as part of our coaching staff is a thrill for us. Certainly we want to show him and offer him the support through a difficult time."

Not only did Guy Gaudreau join the U.S. coaches, staff and players for their picture at center ice at Bell Centre, he posed for a picture with the handful of players who also attended Boston College.

He told NHL.com and The Associated Press that he had planned on going home Tuesday but was asked to hang around and join the team on the ice.

"I love the game of hockey, and my boys loved the game of hockey and those guys, the kids that play, the guys here, it's just a great game and USA has done a tremendous job of developing the talent we have," Guy said.

"It's pretty cool the players still look up to [Johnny] and respect him as a player and really wanted him here to be part of their team. You walk in the locker room, they have his jersey hanging. I've always said a hockey player is the most humble athlete there is. If you're going to talk to them, they talk to you just like normal people talk to you, and they don't think they're any better than anyone else. They just love the game, and they're easy to talk to. It means a lot to Jane and I and my daughters to have me involved and the picture with the team. It means a lot."

He told a story about Chris Kreider, who played one season with Johnny at Boston College, asking Johnny for one of his sticks to add to a personal collection and how surprised Gaudreau was that his stick would have any value to anyone.

"He was a good person. He loved the game. He loved his teammates, loved being with his teammates," Guy Gaudreau said.

Having Guy around certainly brought back a flood of memories of his relationship with Johnny for Kreider.

"He's here in spirit," Kreider said. "I guess the biggest thing that I took away from playing with John and getting to know John is just how much fun he had in the game of hockey. How humble he was. He was a superstar, but he didn't think less of himself, or he just thought so highly of everyone else. He just loved playing the game of hockey."

Guy also joined "Miracle on Ice" hero Mike Eruzione, fellow 1980 star Rob McClanahan and Hockey Hall of Famer Mike Modano in addressing the players during their team dinner Monday night.

"I thought it was important that he was there," Guerin said. "Johnny and Matthew were a big part of USA Hockey. Tremendous loss, but they're with us in spirit. I just think it was important that he was there.

"He's an amazing guy. We love having him around."