Columbus Blue Jackets left-wing Johnny Gaudreau, 31, and his brother Matthew, 29, were both killed by a alleged drunk driver on a bike ride in their home state of New Jersey on Thursday night. Their sister, Katie, was scheduled to get married in Philadelphia on Friday.
The local police reported that the brothers were riding down a road when a man driving behind them tried to pass two other vehicles and struck them from behind. Both brothers were pronounced dead at the scene.
The driver, Sean M. Higgins, was suspected of driving under the influence and charged with two counts of death by auto and is currently in jail at Salem County Correctional Facility. Higgins told investigators that he had five or six beers before driving.
Thoughts and prayers to the Gaudreau family. So incredibly sad.
— TJ Oshie (@TJOshie77) August 30, 2024
“The National Hockey League family is shocked and saddened by the tragic passing of Columbus Blue Jackets forward Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement. “While Johnny’s infectious spirit for the game and show-stopping skills on the ice earned him the nickname ‘Johnny Hockey,’ he was more than just a dazzling hockey player; he was a doting father and beloved husband, son, brother and teammate who endeared himself to every person fortunate enough to have crossed his path.
“Gaudreau often told the story of how his father taught him to skate as a child in his home state of New Jersey and he carried that same youthful passion throughout his 11 NHL seasons. A skilled playmaker, Gaudreau participated in the NHL All-Star Game seven times where he was always a fan favorite, particularly while showcasing his talents in the various skills competitions for which he was so well suited.
He will be remembered fondly in Calgary, where he played his first nine seasons with the Flames from 2013-14 to 2021-22, emerging as one of our League’s brightest young stars while compiling the franchise’s fifth-highest career points total. His loss also will be felt profoundly in Columbus, the city in which he chose to settle his family and where he was one of the respected, veteran leaders of a club building toward the playoffs. And both Johnny and Matthew will be mourned at Boston College, where they were teammates the year Johnny won the Hobey Baker Award in 2013-14, and at Gloucester Catholic High School in New Jersey, where both played and where Matthew was the head hockey coach following his own five-year pro playing career.
We send our most heart-felt condolences to his wife Meredith; their children, Noa and Johnny; his parents, Guy and Jane; and sisters Kristen and Katie. And we grieve alongside his teammates, members of the Blue Jackets and Flames organizations, his many friends in hockey and countless fans around the world for whom he created indelible memories on and off the ice.”
The Blue Jackets released the following statement:
The Calgary Flames, whom Gaudreau played the first nine seasons of his NHL career for, also mourned the loss of “Johnny Hockey.”
It’s with great sadness, we mourn the tragic deaths of our friend Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew Gaudreau.
Our hearts are broken by this devastating loss. Johnny was and always will be a member of the Flames family and loved by all of Calgary. pic.twitter.com/xFm1md0vwh
— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) August 30, 2024
Gaudreau finished his NHL career with 500 assists and 743 points in 763 regular-season games in addition to 11 goals and 33 points in 42 postseason games.
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) August 30, 2024
Matthew played for Boston College in all four years of his undergraduate tenure and played 21 AHL games for the Bridgeport Islanders, the minor league affiliate of the New York Islanders, and Stockton Heat, Calgary’s minor league affiliate.
Former Calgary GM Brad Treliving, who is now with the Toronto Maple Leafs, also released a statement:
Graphic: @Maple Leafs
By Harrison Brown