Gaudreau was born on May 1, 1993, in Bromont, Quebec, Canada as the youngest child of parents Jean-Pierre Gaudreau and France Desrosiers. He attended Cégep de Shawinigan while playing in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and drove two hours from Drummondville to Shawinigan in order to graduate.
Playing career
Junior
As a youth, Gaudreau played in the 2006 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a minor ice hockey team from Missiquoi, Quebec. While playing midget hockey in the QMAAA with the Magog Cantonniers, Gaudreau suffered a severe wrist injury, turning him off the radar for junior scouts. However, due to a rule change allowing 17 year olds to continue playing midget ice hockey, Gaudreau was chosen by the Shawinigan Cataractes in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League as a walk-on in 2011. In his rookie season with the Cataractes, he played in 64 games as the team won the 2012 Memorial Cup. Two years later, he was named the team's 57th captain in franchise history. His time as captain was shortlived, however, as he was traded to the Drummondville Voltigeurs in exchange for a first round pick in 2015, a second round pick in 2014, and Antoine Kilanowski. His only season with the Voltigeurs proved to be successful as he earned the Frank J. Selke Trophy as the QMJHL's Most Sportsmanlike Player and was courted by at least four professional teams.
Professional
Undrafted, Gaudreau signed his first professional contract with the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL, on June 12, 2014. In the 2014–15 season, he added to the depth of the Milwaukee attack, contributing with 11 points in 43 games. He was also loaned for 14 games to ECHL partner, the Cincinnati Cyclones, in producing 5 goals. On May 21, 2015, Gaudreau was extended by the Admirals for a further season. In the midst of a break-out 2015–16 season, having established himself in a scoring role with the Admirals, Gaudreau was signed to a two-year, entry-level contract with the NHL affiliate, the Nashville Predators on January 6, 2016. He completed the season in the AHL, placing third on the Admirals in scoring with new professional highs with 15 goals and 42 points in 75 games. After attending the Predators training camp, he was reassigned to continue with Milwaukee to begin the 2016–17 season. On October 22, 2016, Gaudreau received his first NHL recall to the Predators, after the team suffered a bout of food poisoning. He immediately made his NHL debut with the Predators in a 5–1 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. He was returned to the Admirals following the game. In Game 5 of the 2017 Western Conference Finals against the Anaheim Ducks, Gaudreau made his playoff debut after injuries to Ryan Johansen and Mike Fisher necessitated his presence in the line-up. Gaudreau scored the winning goal in the Predators' 5–1 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 3 of the 2017 Stanley Cup Finals. In Game 4, Gaudreau again scored the game winner as the Predators defeated the Penguins 4–1 to even the series at two games apiece. In doing so, Gaudreau became the first player since Johnny Harms of the 1944 Chicago Blackhawks to score his first three career NHL goals in a Stanley Cup Final.
