Team USA shares touching tribute to Johnny Gaudreau at 4 Nations Face-Off

"We all already know what we're playing for with him and how we want to honor him," defenseman Charlie McAvoy told NHL.com's Dan Rosen. "We always have him nearby and he is. He's with this team and everybody here knows him in one way or another and what he meant to USA Hockey, what he meant to the game of hockey."

Gaudreau, who spent 11 seasons in the NHL with the Calgary Flames and Columbus Blue Jackets, won three medals with Team USA at three different international competitions.

He earned silver at the 2010 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, gold at the 2013 IIHF World Junior Championships and bronze at the 2018 IIHF World Championships.

Team USA will be looking to win its first senior international championship since the 1996 Canada Cup. This year's squad is drawing inspiration from Gaudreau's success at this level.

"He's a guy that went to a ton of world championships, scored big goals, big goals in the World Juniors," defenseman Zach Werenski said. "He was a USA Hockey legend. He's a guy that probably would have been on this team. It definitely gives us some extra motivation."

The 4 Nations Face-Off begins Wednesday and runs through Feb. 20, replacing the traditional NHL All-Star Weekend this year. Team USA will play its first game on Thursday against Finland.