Hurricanes' Eric Robinson, Once Coached By Guy Gaudreau, Trying To Win For 'Hollydell Boys'
Carolina Hurricanes left winger Eric Robinson has made a long journey from a now-famed hockey rink in South Jersey – Hollydell, which has produced numerous NHL and major-college players – to the Stanley Cup final.
Hollydell is where Robinson got his baptism as a young player, learning under coach Guy Gaudreau and playing alongside the coach's talented sons, Johnny and Matty.
"I can speak on Coach Guy, and I think all our friends from home can touch on how hard he was on us," Robinson said before the final started. "We were always skating; we were on the ice for five hours a day. And if you weren't working your bag off, he was all over you, hounding you. There's a reason one small rink in South Jersey produced a lot of good players, a lot of college players and some NHL players. Coach Guy was a big part of that."
Team USA Celebrates Olympic Gold With Gaudreau Brothers In Mind: 'We Did It For Them'
A year-and-a-half since the deaths of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau, the U.S. men's hockey team celebrated gold with them in mind. Dylan Larkin even mused that they were there spiritually on the ice during some close moments.
If Carolina finds a way to defeat a sizzling Vegas team that has won seven straight playoff games, it wouldn't be surprising if Robinson paid tribute to the Gaudreau brothers – and Coach Guy – by bringing the Stanley Cup to either the Hollydell Ice Arena or to Guy and Jane Gaudreau's house in Pedricktown, N.J.
Robinson, who was Johnny Gaudreau's teammate in Columbus, and the Hollydell Boys would frequently hang out at the Gaudreaus' house, have bonfires in the backyard, and talk about their hockey dreams.
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This story was originally published June 4, 2026 at 12:54 PM.