Both team paid tribute to the late hockey player ahead of the game, with Gaudreau's family leading Columbus into the stadium.

The Stadium Series game between the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday promised to have it all: a crowd of more than 90,000 — making it the second largest in NHL history — and an electric atmosphere inside the iconic Ohio Stadium.

Meredith Gaudreau, the widow of Columbus Blue Jackets all-star Johnny Gaudreau, led the team out of the tunnel at storied Ohio Stadium on Saturday where the Blue Jackets hosted the Detroit Red Wings for the 2025 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series.

Meredith Gaudreau is still finding ways to honor her late husband, NHL star Johnny Gaudreau. Meredith, along with her two children, led her late husband’s former NHL team the Columbus Blue Jackets onto the ice ahead of their matchup against the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday,

The widow of the late Johnny Gaudreau posted a message after Saturday’s Stadium Series between the Columbus Blue Jackets and Detroit Red Wings.

COLUMBUS -- The Detroit Red Wings honored Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau when they arrived at Ohio Stadium on Saturday, stepping off the bus wearing jerseys the Gaudreau brothers wore during their hockey careers.

Meredith Gaudreau expressed her overwhelming gratitude for the way the Blue Jackets and the NHL honored him during the Stadium Series game.

Meredith said her family felt supported and loved by the management, players and fans from both organizations.