Columbus Blue Jackets winger Johnny Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew, were killed Thursday when they were struck by a vehicle while riding their bicycles, New Jersey State Police said in a release Friday.
Johnny Gaudreau was 31; Matthew is 29 years old.
According to the police, the driver of the Jeep Grand Cherokee hit two “pedalcyclists,” identified as Gaudreaus, from behind when he tried to pass the SUV on the right that had moved over to make way for the two cyclists. Police, who responded to the scene in Oldmans Township, New Jersey, at 8:19 pm, said two Gaudreaus suffered fatal injuries and were pronounced dead at the scene some 35 miles south of Philadelphia.
The driver, 43-year-old Sean Higgins, is suspected of being under the influence of alcohol and charged with two counts of death by auto, along with reckless driving, possession of an open container and consumption of alcohol in a motor vehicle.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, Higgins told police that he had five or six beers before the accident and had tried to go around the SUV on the right side after thinking another vehicle was trying to block the passerby. He told police that drinking contributed to his “impatience and reckless driving.” Higgins failed a field sobriety test, according to the affidavit.
Police said the investigation is ongoing.
Higgins is being held at the Salem County facility and will remain there until a pretrial detention hearing, which is scheduled for Thursday. A court spokeswoman said Higgins at his first appearance Friday was represented by a public defender but said he plans to hire his own attorney. New Jersey public defenders do not comment on cases.
Both brothers, who are natives of New Jersey, have been in the area as groomsmen at the wedding of Katie’s sister, which is scheduled to be in Philadelphia.
“We want to let everyone know that we are receiving messages of love and support, and we appreciate your continued thoughts and prayers,” the uncle, Jim Gaudreau, said in a statement to the family involved. “We ask for your continued respect and privacy during this extremely difficult time.”
The Blue Jackets called the Gaudreaus’ death an “unimaginable tragedy” in a statement on social media.
“Johnny played the game with such joy that everyone who saw him on the ice felt it,” the Blue Jackets wrote. “He brought his genuine love for hockey with him everywhere he played from Boston College to the Calgary Flames to Team USA to the Blue Jackets. He really loved the fans in a way that only Johnny Hockey can. The impact he had on our organization and our sport was deep, but nothing compared to the indelible impression he made on everyone who knew him.”
Columbus Blue Jackets statement on through Johnny Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew. pic.twitter.com/V2aFykgKIs
– Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) August 30, 2024
Fans laid flowers and hockey sticks for Gaudreau outside Nationwide Arena in downtown Columbus and outside the Flames’ home rink in Calgary. The tribute reverberated near and far, with moments of silence occurring in Cincinnati before the Major League Baseball game between the Reds and Brewers and before the Olympic qualifying game between Slovakia and Hungary in the Slovak capital Bratislava.
Johnny Gaudreau played 11 NHL seasons for the Flames and Blue Jackets. He joined Columbus on a seven-year contract starting in the 2022-23 season. He was an All-Star in 2023 and had 12 goals and 48 assists in 81 games last season.
“The National Hockey League family is shocked and saddened by the tragic deaths of Columbus Blue Jackets forward Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement. “While Johnny’s infectious passion for the game and his stop-and-go skills on the ice earned him the nickname ‘Johnny Hockey,’ he was more than just an amazing hockey player; he was a wonderful father and a loving husband, son, brother and friend. He was loved by everyone. those lucky enough to cross his path.”
NHLPA executive director Marty Walsh said: “Johnny was a beloved friend and colleague in Calgary and Columbus, and he enjoyed watching over 10 years and 763 games in the NHL. … The NHLPA players and staff are devastated by this terrible loss.”
Matthew Gaudreau also played hockey at Boston College and for various teams in the minor leagues.
Drafted by the Flames in the fourth round in 2011, Johnny Gaudreau attended Boston College, where he earned the nickname Johnny Hockey while helping the Eagles win the national title in 2012. He won the Hockey East Player of the Year award and was the 2014 Hobey Baker Honoree Award, which is the best college player in the country.
“Everybody saw what a good player Johnny was, and Matty was a solid player for us,” former Boston College coach Jerry York said. “… But when you get to know his family, that’s what matters except for Johnny being a world-class player and Matty being a good kid. That’s his family. He impressed us as a family. For people who know him, it’s scary for young kids. these two.
Johnny Gaudreau signed with the Flames and scored in his first and only game of the 2013-14 season. A year later, Gaudreau became one of the league’s brightest rookies as he scored 24 goals and 64 points to help the Flames reach the playoffs. He went on to become a six-time All-Star with the Flames and scored a career-high 40 goals and 115 points in 2021-22.
It is with great sadness that we mourn the tragic passing of our friend Johnny Gaudreau and brother Matthew Gaudreau.
Our hearts are broken by this devastating loss. Johnny is and always will be a member of the Flames family and is loved by all of Calgary. pic.twitter.com/xFm1md0vwh
– Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) August 30, 2024
At 5-foot-9 and 180 pounds, Gaudreau is part of a generation of hockey players who thrived in an era of speed and skill that made being undersized less of a disadvantage. He scored more than 20 goals six times and was a near-per-game player with 743 points in 763 regular season games.
Gaudreau emerged as an NHL prospect during a quiet season with the USHL’s Dubuque Fighting Saints in 2010-11. Led by future Boston Bruins coach Jim Montgomery, the Fighting Saints won the USHL title, the Clark Cup, as the diminutive but skilled Gaudreau scored 36 goals and 72 points in 60 games before scoring five goals and 11 points in 11 playoff games.
He represented the USA at the 2013 under-20 world junior championships, where he helped the country win gold, scoring seven goals and nine points in seven games. He will play for Team USA in five world championships and holds the men’s world championship record by a US player with 30 assists and 43 points, earlier this year, a record previously held by Patrick Kane.
“Words cannot express the grief felt by the hockey community,” Hockey USA wrote while several NHL players also reacted to Gaudreau’s death on social media.
“I’m lucky enough to have Johnny with the Calgary Flames and USA Hockey, and it can’t be overstated just what a joy it is for everyone involved to have Johnny Gaudreau on that team,” said longtime NHL executive Brian Burke in a statement. “First and foremost, Johnny is always the first to raise his hand to give back to the community. When we have a charity request, we always know that he will say yes, without hesitation. His love for his family, friends and alma mater. is always visible and clear to be driving force in his life.”
Burke added: “There are few players in the history of hockey who match the passion and love for the game of hockey. The talent on the ice is enhanced, not diminished, by the fact that they are having fun out there.”
Former Flames teammate Blake Coleman posted that he was “completely gutted. The world just lost one of its best.”
“I don’t know why I’m even writing this now I’m shaking but Johnny was one of my favorite teammates,” said retired goaltender Eddie Lack. “Always be happy, always spread positivity around. Rest in peace my friend and prayers go out to your wonderful family. Hugs to your loved ones.”
Gaudreau has been married to his wife, Meredith, since 2021, and has two children under the age of 2: Noa, who was born in September 2022, and Johnny, who was born in February.
Gaudreau’s death is the latest off-ice tragedy to hit the Blue Jackets in recent years. Goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks died in July 2021 when he was struck in the chest by fireworks while attending the wedding of the daughter of Blue Jackets goaltending coach Manny Legace in Michigan.
ESPN’s Ryan S. Clark and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
