Blue Jackets star Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew were both killed by a suspected drunk driver Thursday evening while cycling in New Jersey according to various reports.
TMZ Sports reports that Johnny (31) and his brother Matthew (29) were both cycling around 8:19 PM in Oldmans Township, New Jersey when they were struck from behind. According to police, both Johnny and Matthew sustained serious injuries as a result and were pronounced dead at the scene.
The driver of the vehicle that struck the brothers, Sean Higgins, was arrested and charged with two counts of death by auto.
To make this story even more tragic, the two brothers were in New Jersey for their sister’s wedding which was scheduled to take place this afternoon but has since been cancelled.
The Blue Jackets as well as Johnny’s former team in Calgary released statements expressing their deepest sympathies to the Gaudreau family including his wife Meredith and two young children Noa and Johnny.
The New York Islanders, where Matthew was part of the organization during his time as a professional, also released a statement regarding the passing of the two brothers.
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman has also released a statement as tributes continue to roll in this morning.
Lastly, Boston College, where both the Gaudreau brothers starred made a statement on the loss of the two.
Johnny Gaudreau who was known as “Johnny Hockey” was a seven-time All-Star after being drafted by the Calgary Flames in the fourth round of the 2011 Entry Draft. After playing nine seasons with the Flames which included winning the Lady Byng Trophy in 2016-17, Johnny Hockey signed a seven-year, $68.25M contract with the Blue Jackets in July of 2022 in what many saw as a surprise considering Columbus’ reputation as an undesirable destination for big name free agents. Gaudreau was willing to give the City a chance though and in his time with the Blue Jackets he was an All-Star scoring 12 goals with 48 assists.
For Matthew, after his time at Boston College where he tallied 16 goals and 47 assists, he played for Bridgeport of the AHL and later the Worcester Railers of the ECHL.
Matthew Gaudreau transitioned into coaching after his professional hockey career ended. He became the head coach of the Gloucester Catholic High School hockey team in Gloucester, New Jersey. Both Johnny and Matthew had been students at the high school and members of the hockey team before attending Boston College.
