What was supposed to be a happy family gathering this weekend has turned into an "unimaginable tragedy" for an NHL player's loved ones. According to New Jersey State Police, 31-year-old Columbus Blue Jackets forward Johnny Gaudreau, aka "Johnny Hockey," and his 29-year-old brother, Matthew, were killed Thursday night while riding their bikes in Oldmans Township, New Jersey, not far from where they live in Salem County, per the Columbus Dispatch. The two were reportedly taking a ride on a rural road when a man who police suspect was drunk driving slammed into them.
Police say that Sean Higgins, 43, tried to maneuver his Jeep Grand Cherokee around an SUV and sedan in front of him at around 8:20pm and ended up hitting the Gaudreau brothers, who were biking north on County Route 551, per 6abc. The Gaudreaus were pronounced dead at the scene, the AP reports. According to an affidavit, a state trooper at the scene got a whiff of a "strong odor of alcohol" on Higgins, who admitted to cops that he'd had "five to six beers" that day. Higgins, who was also said to have failed a field sobriety test, was charged with two counts of death by auto and is being held at the Salem County Correctional Facility.
Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau were reportedly set to be groomsmen in their sister Katie's wedding on Friday in Philadelphia. Johnny Gaudreau spent 11 seasons in the NHL, his first nine with the Calgary Flames. He joined the Blue Jackets in July 2022, with a seven-year contract worth nearly $69 million. Gaudreau had scored 642 points over basically just as many games and in international play, broke the men's world championship records earlier this year for a US player with 30 assists and 43 points.
story continues below
In a statement, the Blue Jackets said they were "shocked and devastated by this "unimaginable tragedy," noting that Gaudreau "thrilled fans in a way only Johnny Hockey could." They added: "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." His former team, the Flames, also posted on "this devastating loss." People reports that Gaudreau is survived by his wife, Meredith, and their two young children: daughter Noa, who will be 2 in October, and son Johnny, who's 7 months old. (More NHL stories.)
,
uBlock 
,
and
Ghostery 
)
