It all started, though, inside Hollydell Ice Arena where the two sons of Guy and Jane Gaudreau developed a burning passion for the game that far outweighed their 5-foot-9-inch statures, which some claimed would be too small for pro hockey. Even more so, the Gaudreau brothers developed an impeccable bond with their teammates, creating lifelong friendships.
Many of those friends were eventually coached by Vincent Malts, who is currently a mental performance and player development coach for the Edmonton Oilers. Malts played for Guy, and he still remembers the day Johnny was born. It wasn’t long before Malts would start to see a small Johnny skating on the Hollydell ice attempting to perfect his impeccable stickhandling that he would become known for. The same could be said for Matthew, who was often tied to the hip of his older brother.
“It was Johnny and Matty,” Malts said. “They created almost a community center at Hollydell for their friends.”
What truly stood out, though, explained Malts, was their character.
Malts remembers how fast Johnny and Matt were willing to help when fellow hockey player Nick Egan sadly passed away at 21 years old in 2014. Malts sent Johnny a text saying he wanted to organize something locally to help raise funds for the Egan family.
“Right away he said he was in, what can I do, how can I help, and he got all the guys there,” Malts said. “There was such a genuine energy that they brought. Even as they started to rise, they were still about their family and the community. It never got away from them.
“They always brought that energy. If anyone needed something – friends, family, teammates—boom, they were there.”
