Meredith Gaudreau had never been a tattoo person before losing her husband, NHL star Johnny Gaudreau, and his younger brother Matthew. Now the ink on her arms and hand holds pieces of the family they built and the people they are still grieving.
The 34-year-old recently explained the meaning behind each tattoo, from Johnny’s handwritten signature to their wedding date and a line from their vows. She also said some of the most personal designs were done with a small amount of Johnny’s ashes mixed into the ink, according to PEOPLE.
Johnny and Matthew died on August 29, 2024, after they were struck by a vehicle while riding bicycles in New Jersey. Meredith was pregnant with her and Johnny’s third child at the time. Their son Carter was born in April 2025.
Two years later, Meredith has Johnny represented through his own handwriting, the names of their three children and the vows from their 2021 wedding. Matthew has his own tattoo as well.
Her First Tattoo Came From Johnny’s Own Handwriting
Meredith’s first tattoo was Johnny’s signature on her right forearm. She had saved a photo of an autograph he once wrote specifically for her when she needed it for a playoff jacket, and that became the version she chose to copy.
She first publicly showed the tattoo during a December 2024 return to Calgary, where Johnny spent most of his NHL career. In a Sportsnet interview, Meredith said getting the signature tattoo in Calgary felt fitting because that was where his autograph became so familiar to hockey fans.
At the time, Meredith said she had been nervous because she had never gotten a tattoo before. The single signature became the first of several tributes.
Their Children’s Names Were Tattooed With Johnny’s Ashes
@people #MeredithGaudreau is explaining the meaning behind the tattoos she got to honor her late husband #JohnnyGaudreau and his brother Matthew. #PeopleApp ♬ original sound – People Magazine
On her opposite arm, Meredith has the names of their children in script: Noa Harper, Johnny Edward and Carter Michael.
The names carry another connection to their father. Meredith told PEOPLE the tattoos were done as cremation tattoos, with some of Johnny’s ashes used in the ink. Carter’s name was added after his birth in April 2025.
Tattoo artist Tay Nicole Clinch previously said she consulted a medical professional before doing the cremation tattoo and waited until the work had healed before sharing it publicly. Us Weekly later reported that Carter’s name was added in the same way.
Carter never met Johnny, who learned Meredith was pregnant only shortly before his death.
Matthew Gaudreau Has His Own Tattoo
Johnny is not the only Gaudreau brother Meredith chose to honor. Her right bicep carries a simple tattoo reading “Matty,” the nickname used for Matthew.
Meredith said her grief naturally centers on Johnny, but she does not want Matthew’s place in their family to fade. Matthew was Noa’s godfather and spent a lot of time with the children.
Matthew and his wife, Madeline, were also expecting a child when he died. Their son, Tripp, was born several months later.
‘JM’ Replaced a ‘Forever’ Tattoo That Faded
One of Meredith’s smaller tattoos has already changed. She initially had “forever” written on her ring finger, but the ink eventually faded.
She replaced it with the initials “JM,” for Johnny and Meredith. The original “forever” tattoo was part of the same group of tributes she got after Johnny’s death.
Her left bicep carries a longer record of their marriage. Their September 3, 2021, wedding date appears in Roman numerals above six words from their vows: “All the days of my life.”
The Wording of Their Vows Feels Different Now
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Meredith said that final tattoo has taken on more meaning because of the words she and Johnny chose when they married. Their vows said “All the days of my life,” not the traditional phrase ending with death.
The collection now covers Johnny’s handwriting, their children, their marriage and Matthew. Meredith told PEOPLE that she still sometimes catches herself noticing the tattoos because she went most of her life without any.
The interview comes around the second anniversary of Johnny and Matthew’s deaths. Meredith continues raising Noa, Johnny Jr. and Carter while keeping Johnny’s memory visible in the small daily ways their children can understand.