By STEPHEN WHYNO | Associated Press
NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his younger brother were killed Thursday night after they were struck by a suspected drunk driver while cycling of their home state of New Jersey, police said.
Gaudreau, 31, and his brother Matthew, 29, are from Carneys Point, New Jersey, and were in the realm for his or her sister Katie's wedding, scheduled for Friday in Philadelphia, where they were to function best men.
New Jersey State Police said Friday that the Gaudreau brothers were riding their bicycles on a road when a person traveling in the identical direction attempted to overtake two other vehicles and struck them from behind, causing fatal injuries.
According to police, the motive force, Sean M. Higgins, was suspected of being drunk. He was charged with two counts of negligent homicide and was detained on the Salem County Correctional Facility.
Johnny Gaudreau, often called “Johnny Hockey,” played eleven skilled seasons within the league and was set to start his third with the Columbus Blue Jackets. He played his first nine seasons with the Calgary Flames, where he became among the finest players in the sport and a fan favorite across North America.
“Just devastating news for everyone associated with the Gaudreau family,” Jerry York, who coached the Gaudreau brothers at Boston College, told The Associated Press by phone. “Both Matty and Johnny were incredibly admired by all of us. Wonderful young guys and they impressed a lot of us off the ice.”
The Blue Jackets called it an unimaginable tragedy.
“Johnny was not only a great hockey player, but most importantly, he was a loving husband, father, son, brother and friend,” the team said in an announcement. “Johnny played the game with great joy that was felt by everyone who saw him on the ice. He brought a genuine love of hockey with him wherever he played.”
Gaudreau, 5'9″ and 180 kilos, was a part of a generation of hockey players who thrived in an era of speed and skill when being undersized was less of an obstacle. He scored 20-plus goals six times and was a 115-point player in the course of the 2021-22 season, when he set personal bests with 40 goals and 75 assists. He appeared in seven NHL All-Star Games.
“Johnny's infectious play and breathtaking skills on the ice earned him the nickname 'Johnny Hockey,' but he was more than just a dazzling hockey player; he was a loving father and beloved husband, son, brother and teammate who endeared himself to everyone who was fortunate enough to cross his path,” said NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman.
Marty Walsh, executive director of the NHLPA, said: “Johnny was a beloved teammate and friend in both Calgary and Columbus, and it was a joy to watch him during his 10 years and 763 games in the NHL. … The players and staff of the NHLPA are devastated by these terrible losses.”
Gaudreau was chosen within the fourth round by Calgary in 2011 and helped Boston College win the NCAA championship in 2012. In 2014, he received the Hobey Baker Award because the country's best college player.
As knowledgeable, Gaudreau was named to the All-Rookie Team in his first season within the NHL and finished third in voting for the Calder Trophy as Rookie of the Year in 2014–15.
Gaudreau was a player who scored a degree in every game, scoring 642 points in 644 regular season and playoff games since entering the league. In 2022, he left the Flames to sign a seven-year contract price nearly $69 million from the Blue Jackets, bringing him and his young family to central Ohio, closer to his family in New Jersey.
There was a flood of messages about Gaudreau on social media.
USA Hockey said“Words cannot adequately express the grief of the hockey community.” The Flames said Gaudreau “came to Calgary as a young man and grew up here, not only as a superstar on the ice, but also as a beloved member of our community.”
Former Flames teammate Blake Coleman posted the next He said he was “completely devastated. The world has 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 I’ve ever played with,” Retired goalkeeper Eddie Lack said. “Always happy, always spreading positivity around him. Rest in peace my friend and prayers for your beautiful family. Hugs to your loved ones.”
In international games, Gaudreau holds the boys's World Cup record amongst U.S. players with 30 assists and 43 points, breaking the records previously held by Patrick Kane earlier this yr.
Gaudreau's death is the most recent off-ice tragedy to hit the organization in recent times. Goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks died in July 2021 when he was hit within the chest by fireworks at the marriage of the daughter of then-Blue Jackets goalie coach Manny Legace in Michigan.
Three weeks before the beginning of the league's training camps, the team now has to address one other unexpected defeat.
“We will miss him terribly and are doing all we can to support his family and ourselves during this tragedy,” the Blue Jackets said. “During this time, we ask for prayers for the Gaudreau family and that their privacy is respected as they grieve.”
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AP Sports Writer Dan Gelston in Philadelphia and AP Hockey Writer John Wawrow in Buffalo contributed to this report.
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