Blue Jackets' Johnny Gaudreau, brother killed in car-bike crash

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Blue Jackets' Johnny Gaudreau, brother killed in car-bike crash​

Columbia Blue Jackets winger Johnny Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew, were killed Thursday when they were struck by a vehicle while riding bicycles, New Jersey State Police said in a release Friday. Johnny Gaudreau was 31; Matthew was 29. According to police, a driver of a Jeep Grand Cherokee hit two "pedalcyclists," identified as the Gaudreaus, from behind while trying to pass an 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 p.m., said both Gaudreaus suffered fatal injuries and were pronounced dead at the scene some 35 miles south of Philadelphia. Both brothers, who were New Jersey natives, had been in the area to be groomsmen in their sister Katie's wedding that was scheduled for Friday in Philadelphia.

Johnny Gaudreau played in 11 NHL seasons for the Flames and Blue Jackets. He joined Columbus on a seven-year contract starting with the 2022-23 season. He was an All-Star in 2023 and posted 12 goals and 48 assists in 81 games last season. Drafted by the Flames in the fourth round in 2011, Johnny Gaudreau attended Boston College, where he earned his "Johnny Hockey" nickname as he helped the Eagles win a national title in 2012. He won two straight Hockey East Player of the Year awards and was the 2014 winner of the Hobey Baker Award, which goes to the top men's college player in the nation. Matthew Gaudreau also played hockey at Boston College and for various teams in the minor leagues. Johnny Gaudreau was 31; Matthew was 29.

The driver, Sean Higgins, 43, is suspected of being under the influence of alcohol and has been charged with two counts of death by auto, along with reckless driving, possession of an open container and consuming alcohol in a motor vehicle. According to the probable cause affidavit, Higgins told police that he had five or six beers before the crash and had tried to go around the SUV on the right side after thinking the other vehicle was trying to block him from passing. He told police his drinking contributed to "his impatience and reckless driving." Higgins failed a field sobriety test, according to the affidavit.

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LeBron James, Mike Trout and NHL World Pay Tribute To Johnny And Matthew Gaudreau
Lebron James also commented on the situation ... saying, "Insane man! I instantly go so down and sad."...Mike Trout -- a South Jersey native like the brothers -- said he was devastated by the news of their passing ... and that his condolences were with his family....The hockey world is also remembering the brothers ... with Hendrik Lundqvist -- the former goalie of the New York Rangers -- describing the entire situation as "So Hard To Believe
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R.I.P

Alleged Johnny Gaudreau Killer Told Cops He had '5-6 Beers' Before Crash, Police Say
Law enforcement also wrote in the documents that Higgins told officers "his consumption of alcoholic beverages contributed to his impatience and reckless driving."
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Sean Higgins was ultimately arrested and charged with two counts of death by auto.

 

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Johnny Gaudreau's widow: 'You were perfect'​

The widow of Columbus Blue Jackets forward Johnny Gaudreau paid tribute to him in a pair of social media posts Saturday, calling him her "forever" and praising him as the "best dad" to their young children. Meredith Gaudreau also shared family photos of her late husband celebrating his 31st birthday earlier in August with her, daughter Noa and son Johnny. Meredith and Johnny Gaudreau married Sept. 4, 2021. Noa was born the following September and Johnny on Feb. 22. Social media posts honoring the Gaudreaus poured in from all over the sports world, including from hockey legend Wayne Gretzky and Jalen Hurts, quarterback of the Gaudreaus' favorite NFL team, the Philadelphia Eagles.

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Johnny Gaudreau wasn't your typical professional athlete​

There was no denying the speed, the hands, the abrupt changes of direction. Johnny Gaudreau was impossible to miss inside a hockey arena, listed at 5-foot-9 yet one of the most terrifying forces in the NHL. Loose in open ice, anything could happen. Even worse for opponents was how Gaudreau redefined what open was, what possible was. He was at his very best finding creases no one else saw, taking the puck into places no one else imagined — before so often depositing shots in the back of the net. "Johnny Hockey" they called this blur from South Jersey, who played with a bliss built on possibility. ESPN’s John Buccigross aptly compared him to Allen Iverson, someone whose seeming disadvantage — size — got turned into an advantage: impossible, glorious elusiveness.

Their father, Guy, was a former player and longtime coach who got his boys into the sport at the earliest of ages, focusing on the fundamentals of balance and speed and skating before anything else. Johnny was quickly a wonder — he often dazzled in the skill competitions during his seven NHL All-Star appearances. Gaudreau netted 243 regular-season goals and recorded 500 assists across 11 NHL seasons with the Calgary Flames and the Columbus Blue Jackets. He previously won a national championship and the Hobey Baker Award at Boston College. The stats don’t even describe his impact on the league, or the thrills he gave fans when he’d pull some spin move or dart in a way no else in the building expected. He was whip smart on the ice. He was an edge-of-your-seat, hold-your-breath kind of talent.

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New details on man accused of killing Gaudreau brothers​

FOX 29 has learned new information about 43-year-old Sean Higgins, the man accused of killing NHL star Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew Gaudreau in a Salem County collision last week. According to new details obtained by FOX 29, Higgins is a field artillery officer assigned to the New Jersey Army National Guard, Joint Force Headquarters. He is a part-time traditional Drill Status Guardsman and was not on duty at the time of the incident. Col Yvonne L. Mays, Acting Adjutant General of New Jersey, said they cannot comment on ongoing investigations, but gave the following statement: "We are profoundly saddened by this tragedy. Our hearts go out to everyone affected, and we share in the grief of the Gaudreau family." Higgins also worked for a rehab facility called 'Gaudenzia'. The nonprofit identified him as an employee on Saturday, saying that he has been placed on leave following the deadly crash.

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Online fundraisers for Mathew Gaudreau's widow raises more than $500K as sports world mourns
Donations also continued to pile up to support Matthew’s widow, Madeline, who is pregnant with the couple’s first child, due in December. A GoFundMe set up by Madeline’s sister Holland Korbitz and verified by the online fundraising company raised more than $550,000 as of 4 p.m. EDT Tuesday.

Mathew Gaudreau and wife Madeline Gaudreau's relationship timeline
Mathew Gaudreau and his wife, Madeline Gaudreau, were together for nearly 15 years — and married three — before his untimely death.

 

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Man charged in death of Gaudreau brothers had .087% BAC​

The driver charged with killing NHL hockey player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew, as they bicycled on a rural road had a blood alcohol level of .087%, above the .08% legal limit in New Jersey, a prosecutor said Friday. The driver, 43-year-old Sean M. Higgins of nearby Woodstown, New Jersey, is charged with two counts of death by auto, along with reckless driving, possession of an open container and consuming alcohol in a motor vehicle. At a virtual court hearing Friday, a judge ordered that Higgins be held for trial despite defense arguments that he was a married father and law-abiding citizen before the crash.

According to the criminal complaint, Higgins told police he had five or six beers that day and admitted to consuming alcohol while driving. He also failed a field sobriety test, the complaint said. A prosecutor on Friday said Higgins had been drinking at home after finishing a work call at about 3 p.m. and having an upsetting conversation with a family member. Higgins also had a history of road rage and reckless driving, according to First Assistant Prosecutor Jonathan Flynn of Salem County. He said that Higgins apparently became frustrated when the two drivers ahead of him slowed down to go around the cyclists and that he sped up to try to pass the other cars on the right, striking the Gaudreaus.

"He indicated he didn't even see them," said Superior Court Judge Michael J. Silvanio, who said Higgins' admitted "impatience" caused two deaths. Higgins faces up to 20 years, a sentence the judge said made him a flight risk. Higgins has a master's degree, works in finance for an addiction treatment company and served in combat in Iraq, his lawyers said. However, his wife said he had been drinking regularly since working from home and told them he had a history of "driving like a nut," prosecutors said Higgins faces up to 20 years, a sentence the judge said made him a flight risk.

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Flames to repurpose items from Johnny Gaudreau memorial
The Flames had a 13-day dedicatory period at their arena in which fans could leave keepsakes to show support for the Gaudreau family. Hockey sticks that were left at the memorial will be turned into hockey stick benches to be used in fundraising efforts for local charities.

Blue Jackets GM focused on season amid grief for Johnny Gaudreau
The NHL and NHL Players' Association are providing the Blue Jackets help in the form of grief counseling, crowd security at vigils and addressing hockey issues, such as potentially altering the league's salary cap rules to provide Columbus relief from having to reach the NHL minimum payroll because of the void left by Gaudreau's contract.

 

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USA Hockey to honor Gaudreau brothers with helmet decal​

USA Hockey will honor the lives of brothers Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau by having national teams at all levels wear a unique helmet decal during this coming season. The governing body made the announcement Thursday and released an image of the decal, which features a backdrop of stars "floating toward the heavens" and the Gaudreau name, along with jersey numbers of Johnny (13) and Matthew (21), centered in the middle. The New Jersey natives were killed by a suspected drunken driver while riding bikes in their home state on Aug. 29, the night before both brothers were set to serve as groomsmen in their sister Katie's wedding. In addition to U.S. national teams getting the decal, two teams that are part of USA Hockey's national team development program will participate, as will the men's and women's sled teams.

Johnny won a gold medal with Team USA at the 2013 IIHF World Junior Championship. He also competed for the USA at four IIHF Men's World Championships. In his professional career, Johnny spent eight seasons with the Calgary Flames and the last two playing for the Columbus Blue JAckets, who also will be honoring the brothers this season

Matthew skated for the USHL's Omaha Lancers for two seasons before playing at Boston College. He went from there to embarking on a five-year career in the American Hockey League and ECHL.

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Blue Jackets play home opener with Gaudreau brothers in mind​

Johnny Gaudreau's Columbus teammates were given a few options for how to handle their emotions during the Blue Jackets' home opener.

If you want to cry, cry.
If you want to laugh, laugh.
The only rules -- play the game the way "Johnny Hockey" would and with him in mind.

Emotions ran high in Columbus on Tuesday night, when the Blue Jackets paid tribute to their star and his late brother Matthew at their home opener against the Florida Panthers. Among the highlights: A banner was raised to the rafters in Gaudreau's memory, as fans cheered, both teams stick-tapped the ice in the traditional hockey salute, and his family looked on, their arms intertwined. Johnny Gaudreau, the Blue Jackets' star who would have been entering his third season with the club and 11th NHL season overall, and his brother Matthew Gaudreau were killed on Aug. 29 when police said they were struck by a suspected drunken driver while they were riding their bicycles on a rural road in New Jersey on the eve of their sister Katie's wedding.

The 31-year-old Gaudreau wore jersey No. 13 for the Blue Jackets. Matthew Gaudreau -- who was 29 and played five pro seasons in the American Hockey League, East Coast Hockey League and in Sweden -- wore jersey No. 21. All 32 NHL teams are wearing decals on their helmets with 13, 21 and the letter G on their helmets through Oct. 24. USA Hockey has a similar tribute for its teams at all levels this year. On Tuesday, the "13" tributes were everywhere. Both the Blue Jackets and Panthers took the ice for warmups wearing jerseys bearing the name Gaudreau and jersey number 13 those sweaters will be auctioned and raffled off to benefit the John and Matthew Gaudreau Foundation.

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