A free youth hockey program honoring Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau opened Friday, Sept. 18, at Hollydell Ice Arena in Sewell. Children as young as 3 laced up skates on the rink where their father coached for three decades.

The Gaudreau Family Foundation's Learn-to-Skate/Learn-to-Play Ice Hockey Program drew 362 applications from families within a 30-mile radius of Hollydell, The Athletic reported. A six-person selection committee chose 36 participants, including several children with special needs. The NHL Players' Association (NHLPA) Goals & Dreams fund donated all equipment, including jerseys bearing Johnny's No. 13 and Matthew's No. 21.

The demand was enormous.

For Cherry Hill parent Nicole Slattery, whose child was among the first group on the ice, the program removes a cost barrier. "Ice hockey is such a sport that can be so expensive for families," Slattery told 6abc. "To give families the opportunity to get out there to be able to try it and to honor his boys is such a special thing."

Guy Gaudreau, Hollydell's longtime hockey director, led the session himself. He spent roughly 30 years running the rink and raised Johnny and Matthew on its ice. When the boys were small, he scattered Skittles across the surface so they would skate toward the candy, according to The Athletic.

Johnny Gaudreau, known as "Johnny Hockey," played 11 NHL seasons with the Calgary Flames and Columbus Blue Jackets. Matthew played college and professional hockey before becoming a coach.

Both were killed Aug. 29, 2024, in a crash in Oldmans Township the night before their sister's wedding. Sean Higgins, 45, of Pilesgrove, faces charges including aggravated manslaughter; a trial is set to begin Jan. 5, 2027, according to NJ.com.

Hollydell renamed one of its ice sheets the Gaudreau Rink after the brothers' deaths. Pictures of Johnny and Matthew line the walls. Jane Gaudreau, the brothers' mother, said the program helps the family honor their sons' legacy, according to 6abc.

Buddy Robinson, a former professional teammate of both brothers and a member of the selection committee, told The Athletic that the Gaudreau family name and South Jersey youth hockey go hand in hand. He called it inspiring to see Guy and Jane still motivated to teach.

The foundation also held its second annual 5K this year, with proceeds funding the skating program. The inaugural 5K in May 2025 raised money for an adaptive playground at Archbishop Damiano School, a special education school in Westville where Jane Gaudreau and the brothers' older sister, Kristen Venello, both work, according to The Athletic.

The 12-week learn-to-skate program runs through December. Participants will transition to a learn-to-play hockey program in January.