- Tributes pour in for the Columbus Blue Jackets winger and his younger brother after news broke of their tragic deaths
- The driver of the vehicle that struck the brothers is suspected of being under the influence of alcohol
- Blue Jackets describe the accident as an “unimaginable tragedy”
Columbus Blue Jackets winger Johnny Gaudreau and his younger brother Matthew have been killed after being struck by a vehicle while riding as ‘pedalcyclists’ in New Jersey on Thursday.
Johnny, 31, and Matthew, 29, had returned to their native New Jersey to attend their sister’s wedding, which was scheduled to take place today (Friday August 30) in nearby Philadelphia.
A driver of a Jeep Grand Cherokee hit the brothers from behind while trying to pass an SUV that had moved to make way for the pedalcyclists, according to a police report. The driver is suspected of being under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash and is being charged with two counts of death by auto, police have revealed. The investigation is ongoing.
Matthew also played hockey professionally, most recently playing for the Reading Royals of the East Coast Hockey League. The brothers played together at Boston College during the 2013/14 season.
The Blue Jackets, with whom Johnny had played for two seasons after arriving from the Calgary Flames in 2022, released a statement in the wake of the accident, describing the deaths of the brothers as an “unimaginable tragedy”.
“Johnny played the game with great joy which was felt by everyone that saw him on the ice. He brought a genuine love for hockey with him everywhere he played from Boston College to the Calgary Flames to Team USA to the Blue Jackets. He thrilled fans in a way only Johnny Hockey could. The impact he had on our organization and our sport was profound, but pales in comparison to the indelible impression he made on everyone who knew him.”
Tributes immediately poured in after news broke of the tragedy, with NHL fans sharing their favourite memories of Gaudreau, who had played in seven NHL All-Star games across his 11 year career.
Known as ‘Johnny Hockey’, Gaudreau won the Hobey Baker Award in 2014 as the best player in the NCAA and was named in the NHL All-Rookie team in the same year, before being selected to play in the All-Star game in his first full NHL season. He was also named the NHL’s Most Gentlemanly Player for the 2016/17 season. Gaudreau is survived by his wife Meredith and his two children, Noa and Johnny.
