As a young man, Guy Gaudreau was an ice hockey and soccer star at Norwich University in Newport, Vermont, and one of the state’s most prolific forwards in both sports at North Country Union High School.
A member of the Vermont Sports Hall of Fame and the Norwich Athletic Hall of Fame, Guy excelled at ice hockey, scoring 118 goals in high school and 88 at Norwich, where he graduated with a physical education degree in 1979.
Mr. Gaudreau then brought his love of hockey to South Jersey, where he and his wife Jane Gaudreau settled down and raised four children: Johnny, Matty, Kristen and Katie.
He almost single-handedly brought the sport to the area as the first director of the Hollydell Arena ice hockey program in Washington Township and as the coach of the ice hockey team at Gloucester Catholic High School in Gloucester City.
The Rams won the Parochial South Jersey championship in 2009 with his sons Johnny and Matty playing starring roles. Another star on that excellent team was Eric Robinson of Bellmawr, a winger who helped the Carolina Hurricanes defeat the Las Vegas Golden Knights to win the 2026 NHL Hockey League Championship.
On Aug. 20 Robinson brought the Stanley Cup to Hollydell Arena, where he first learned to play ice hockey under Gaudreau’s tutelage.
“God Bless Coach Guy. He has been through so much. I am so happy and proud he got to hoist the cup that Johnny should have been able to do,” said Robinson, referring to the tragic death of Johnny and Matt Gaudreau, who were killed by an alleged drunk driver while riding their bicycles in August 2024.
A onetime teammate of “Johnny Hockey” with the Columbus Blue Jackets, Robinson said he was thrilled about bringing the Stanley Cup to Hollydell to encourage youngsters just learning the game and thank Mr. Gaudreau and his family for all they have done to bring the sport of ice hockey to South Jersey.
In a social media post after the exciting event, the Gaudreau Family stated, “This week Eric Robinson brought the Stanley Cup to Hollydell Ice Arena – the rink where he and so many friends, including John & Matty, grew up skating.
“Eric didn’t have to choose Hollydell. But it was so special that he did, and he made sure the Gaudreau family could be part of the moment. It’s these gestures, big and small, that mean so much as we work to carry John and Matty’s legacies forward. Thank you to Eric, and to everyone who continues to include them in moments like this.”
A post by the Hollydell Ice Arena stated, “We were so honored to have Eric Robinson here with the Stanley Cup. What an incredible person he is. He met and took a picture with every single person that walked through our doors. Congratulations Eric and the entire Robinson Family. Your Hollydell Family is so proud of you!”
Indeed Aug. 20 was a very special day at Hollydell and a touching tribute to Coach Guy, Johnny, Matty and their entire Gaudreau family.
Eric Robinson of Bellmawr, a Gloucester Catholic star on the South Jersey championship team in 2009 along with Johnny and Matt Gaudreau, brings home the Stanley Cup he won this year with the Carolina Hurricanes to Hollydell Ice Arena in Washington Township on Aug. 20, where he first learned to play the game under the tutelage of Guy Gaudreau. “We were so honored to have Eric Robinson here with the Stanley Cup,” Hollydell officials said. “Your Hollydell Family is so proud of you!”
Guy Gaudreau (left), the legendary college ice hockey star, founder of the ice hockey program at Hollydell Ice Arena in Washington Township and coach of the 2009 Gloucester Catholic High School team that won the South Jersey championship, hoists the Stanley Cup with Eric Robinson of the Carolina Hurricanes, a resident of Bellmawr who Gaudreau coached at both Hollydell and Gloucester Catholic.
