NHL star Johnny Gaudreau and his brother killed in New Jersey crash on the eve of their sister’s wedding
NHL star Johnny |A|
Gaudreau and his brother |B|
were fatally struck by |C|
a suspected drunken driver |D|
while riding bikes on |E|
a New Jersey roadway, |F|
officials said, just hours |G|
before they were to |H|
serve as groomsmen in |J|
their sisters wedding. The |K|
deaths of “Johnny Hockey,” |L|
known for his enthusiasm |M|
on the ice and |O|
kindness off it, and |P|
his sibling Matthew left |Q|
the sports world mourning. |R|
Johnny Gaudreau, |Z| 31, and Matthew Gaudreau, |A| 29, were riding bicycles |B| around 8:19 p.m. Thursday |C| on a county road |D| in Oldmans Township – |E| a community in southern |F| New Jersey near the |G| Delaware River – when |H| a Jeep Grand Cherokee |J| that was attempting to |K| pass two slower-moving vehicles |L| hit them, according to |M| New Jersey State Police.
|O| dir="ltr">The Jeep driver, who |P| police identified as 43-year-old |Q| Sean Higgins, is charged |R| with two counts of |S| vehicular homicide in the |U| second degree, according to |V| the complaint. “Through further |Y| investigation, Higgins was suspected |Z| of being under the |A| influence of alcohol,” State |B| Police Sgt. Jeffrey Lebron |C| said in a news |D| release.
Higgins stated he |E| had consumed roughly five |F| to six beers before |G| the accident, according to |H| a probable cause affidavit |J| filed with the Salem |K| County Superior Court Friday.
|L| dir="ltr">“Mr. Higgins explicitly stated |M| to the effect that |O| his consumption of alcoholic |P| beverages contributed to his |Q| impatience and reckless driving, |R| which resulted in the |S| motor vehicle accident,” the |U| affidavit states.
Higgins made |V| his first appearance in |Y| court Friday afternoon but |Z| did not enter a |A| plea, according to Salem |B| County court criminal division |C| manager Crystal Harris. He |D| is being held without |E| bond at the Salem |F| County Correctional Facility pending |G| a detention motion hearing |H| on September 5, Harris |J| said.
The Gaudreau brothers |K| were scheduled to serve |L| as groomsmen Friday afternoon |M| at their sisters wedding |O| in Philadelphia, according to |P| her online registry page |Q| at TheKnot.com.
“Last night |R| we lost two husbands, |S| two fathers, two sons, |U| two brothers, two sons |V| and brothers in law, |Y| two nephews, two cousins, |Z| two family members two |A| teammates, two friends but |B| truly two amazing humans,” |C| their uncle Jim Gaudreau |D| said Friday morning in |E| a family statement on |F| Facebook. “We want to |G| let everyone know we |H| are receiving your messages |J| of love and support |K| and we appreciate your |L| continued thoughts and prayers.”
|M| dir="ltr">Matthew Gaudreaus wife is |O| expecting their baby, according |P| to a Columbus Blue |Q| Jackets spokesperson.
During Higgins |R| court appearance, Judge Michael |S| J. Silvanio said the |U| charges against him are |V| punishable by a maximum |Y| of 10 years in |Z| New Jersey state prison. |A| Higgins is being represented |B| by a public defense |C| attorney, but he said |D| at the hearing he |E| will hire his own |F| lawyer in the future |G| to represent him.
At |H| the end of the |J| court appearance, Higgins seemed |K| apparently taken aback after |L| he was told hed |M| be held at the |O| jail pending his next |P| hearing, saying to the |Q| judge: “So, Im here |R| until Thursday?”
Johnny Hockey |S| described as fierce and |U| passionate player, devoted father
|V| dir="ltr">Johnny Gaudreau was drafted |Y| by the Calgary Flames |Z| in the fourth round |A| of the 2011 NHL |B| Draft out of Boston |C| College.
He signed with |D| the Columbus Blue Jackets |E| ahead of the 2022-2023 |F| season and tallied 12 |G| goals and 48 assists |H| last season.
“The Columbus |J| Blue Jackets are shocked |K| and devastated by this |L| unimaginable tragedy. Johnny was |M| not only a great |O| hockey player, but more |P| significantly a loving husband, |Q| father, son, brother and |R| friend. We extend our |S| heartfelt sympathies to his |U| wife, Meredith, his children, |V| Noa and Johnny, his |Y| parents, their family and |Z| friends on the sudden |A| loss of Johnny and |B| Matthew,” the Blue Jackets |C| said in the statement.
|D| dir="ltr">“Johnny played the game |E| with great joy which |F| was felt by everyone |G| that saw him on |H| the ice. He brought |J| a genuine love for |K| hockey with him everywhere |L| he played from Boston |M| College to the Calgary |O| Flames to Team USA |P| to the Blue Jackets. |Q| He thrilled fans in |R| a way only Johnny |S| Hockey could.
“The impact |U| he had on our |V| organization and our sport |Y| was profound, but pales |Z| in comparison to the |A| indelible impression he made |B| on everyone who knew |C| him,” the statement continued.
|D| dir="ltr">In 11 seasons in |E| the league, Gaudreau had |F| 243 career goals and |G| 743 points while making |H| seven All-Star game appearances.
|J| dir="ltr">“The National Hockey League |K| family is shocked and |L| saddened by the tragic |M| passing of Columbus Blue |O| Jackets forward Johnny Gaudreau |P| and his brother Matthew,” |Q| NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman |R| said in a statement.
|S| dir="ltr">“While Johnnys infectious spirit |U| for the game and |V| show-stopping skills on the |Y| ice earned him the |Z| nickname Johnny Hockey, he |A| was more than just |B| a dazzling hockey player; |C| he was a doting |D| father and beloved husband, |E| son, brother and teammate |F| who endeared himself to |G| every person fortunate enough |H| to have crossed his |J| path,” Bettman said.
Hockey |K| reporter Dave Maetzold, appearing |L| on “TNT Sports Tonight” |M| on Friday, said the |O| NHL player was “the |P| most modest superstar youd |Q| ever want to meet” |R| and a “likable guy |S| who was reluctantly in |U| the spotlight.”
Maetzold, a |V| Bally Sports Ohio rinkside |Y| reporter, knew Gaudreau through |Z| his job covering the |A| team.
Gaudreau comes from |B| a tight-knit hockey family, |C| Maetzold said, and his |D| father was a regular |E| attendee at his games.
|F| dir="ltr">“He would be there |G| right alongside the ice, |H| just as he was |J| when Johnny was a |K| young player. His mom |L| was there all the |M| time,” Maetzold said. “He |O| comes from a tight-knit |P| family and was building |Q| a tight-knit family. Just |R| a horrible tragedy from |S| a family perspective.”
Longtime |U| NHL executive Brian Burke |V| noted in a statement |Y| on X that Gaudreau |Z| brought ”kindness that radiated |A| out through the locker |B| room every day” and |C| there were “few players |D| in hockey history who |E| matched his passion and |F| love for the game.”
|G| dir="ltr">“Johnny was always the |H| first to raise his |J| hand to give back |K| to his community,” Burke |L| said. “When we had |M| charity requests, we always |O| knew he would say |P| yes, without hesitation.”
Their |Q| loss will be felt |R| forever. Community mourns beloved |S| brothers
New Jersey Gov. |U| Phil Murphy in a |V| statement said “the people |Y| of New Jersey grieve” |Z| with the Gaudreau family. |A| Murphy noted how the |B| brothers “discovered their love |C| for hockey in the |D| rinks of South Jersey, |E| and followed their passion |F| up to Boston, where |G| both brothers quickly emerged |H| as star players on |J| the Boston College mens |K| hockey team.”
Matthew Gaudreau |L| returned to the brothers |M| alma mater in New |O| Jersey, Gloucester Catholic High |P| School, in 2022 to |Q| serve as ice hockey |R| coach, a position he |S| held until this summer.
|U| dir="ltr">“Johnny and Matt were |V| incredible hockey players and |Y| students, but even more |Z| amazing human beings,” principal |A| Thomas Iacovene Jr. said |B| in a statement released |C| by the school Friday. |D| “Their loss will be |E| felt forever by the |F| entire Gloucester Catholic community |G| and by me personally.”
|H| dir="ltr">The Boston College mens |J| hockey team head coach |K| Greg Brown and former |L| head coach Jerry York |M| shared memories of the |O| brothers at a news |P| conference Friday.
“Its hard |Q| to put into words,” |R| Brown said of their |S| loss. “The Gaudreau family |U| is so close, theyre |V| so tight. Theres just |Y| so many people here |Z| that were affected by |A| them, their teammates, everybody |B| who knew them. The |C| fact that they were |D| together is horrific but |E| ironic because they were |F| that tight a family.”
|G| dir="ltr">The coaches spoke on |H| the impact Johnny and |J| Matthew had on the |K| hockey program at Boston |L| College, both on and |M| off the rink. “They |O| brought a ton of |P| joy to the rink. |Q| They were happy to |R| be there, truly happy |S| to be there, big |U| smiles all the time,” |V| Brown said of his |Y| time coaching the brothers.
|Z| dir="ltr">“The things they could |A| do on the ice, |B| thats what people who |C| dont know them remember |D| because they were both |E| magical in their own |F| ways, but everyone just |G| loved having them on |H| the team, they were |J| tremendous teammates,” he continued. |K| “They lit up the |L| room when they came |M| in.”
York recalled the |O| bond between the two |P| brothers being particularly strong |Q| and credited Matthew for |R| pushing Johnny to becoming |S| an NHL star. The |U| former head coach said |V| he was in touch |Y| with the brothers parents |Z| after learning about the |A| tragedy, reminding them “how |B| special they were” to |C| the college team.
The |D| brothers sister Katie, always |E| clad in Boston College |F| Eagles gear, “never missed |G| a game,” York said. |H| “… And for her |J| to be getting married, |K| the whole thing is |L| so hard, but well |M| have a great contingent |O| coming from here down |P| to the wake and |Q| the funeral.”
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