In one of the most emotional moments of the NHL season, Columbus Blue Jackets forward Sean Monahan was named the 2025 recipient of the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, awarded for perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey.
Monahan, 30, received the award at his home outside Toronto, in a surprise orchestrated by none other than Meredith Gaudreau, widow of Johnny Gaudreau, Monahan’s longtime best friend and former Flames teammate who died tragically last August in a bicycle accident alongside his brother, Matthew. Both were struck by an alleged drunk driver in Salem County, New Jersey.
“You don’t hear John’s name without thinking of Sean,” Meredith said. “They’re best friends, they’re brothers.”
“John knows I don’t like the spotlight,” Monahan said. “So I feel like he’s probably watching that moment and laughing at me.”
“Having Meredith come down… was a lot of emotions right away and very special.”
A $2,500 donation will be made to the Bill Masterton Scholarship Fund in Monahan’s name.
“It’s a real big honor,” Monahan said. “There’s a lot of special names on that trophy. The meaning behind it is something I take great pride in — being on a team, being a father, a husband.”
In Meredith’s words: “Sean, you persevered through one of the hardest things. This one’s just celebrating your character… I know John is so proud of you.”
And now, with his name etched into Masterton history, Monahan stands not only as a symbol of perseverance on the ice but of enduring love and friendship off it.
