NHL player and his younger brother were killed on the eve of their sister鈥檚 wedding when they were hit by a suspected drunken driver while riding bicycles in their home state of New Jersey, police said Friday.
New Jersey State Police said the Gaudreau brothers were cycling on a road in Oldmans Township on Thursday night when a man driving an SUV in the same direction attempted to pass two other vehicles and struck them from behind about 8 p.m., less than a half-hour after sunset. They were pronounced dead at the scene some 35 miles south of Philadelphia.
Gaudreau, 31, and brother, Matt, 29, are Carneys Point, New Jersey, natives and were set to serve as groomsmen at their sister Katie鈥檚 wedding that was scheduled for Friday in Philadelphia.
Police said the driver, 43-year-old Sean M. Higgins, was 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 consuming alcohol in a motor vehicle.
Higgins told a responding officer he had five or six beers prior to the crash and admitted to consuming alcohol while driving, according to the criminal complaint obtained by The Associated Press. He failed a field sobriety test, the complaint said, though his blood-alcohol level was not immediately available.
Higgins was jailed at a Salem County facility and will remain there until his pretrial detention hearing, which is scheduled for Sept. 5. A court spokesperson said Higgins at his first appearance Friday was represented by a public defender but indicated he planned to hire his own attorney. Public defenders in New Jersey do not comment on cases.
Johnny Gaudreau, played 10 full seasons in the league and was set to enter his third with the Columbus Blue Jackets after signing a seven-year, $68 million deal in 2022. He played his first eight seasons with the Calgary Flames, a tenure that included becoming one of the sport鈥檚 top players and a fan favorite across North America.
鈥淛ust devastating news for all of us connected with the Gaudreau family,鈥� Jerry York, who coached the Gaudreau brothers at Boston College, said in a phone interview with the AP. 鈥淏oth Matty and Johnny were terrifically admired by all of us. Wonderful young guys, and they impressed a lot of us off the ice."
York raved about parents Guy and Jane and the family's dedication to their children and hockey. Gaudreau had been married to his wife, Meredith, since 2021, and they have two children under 2, Noa, who was born in September 2022, and Johnny, who was born in February.
鈥淲e want to let everyone know we are receiving your messages of love and support, and we appreciated your continued thoughts and prayers,鈥� an uncle, Jim Gaudreau, said in a statement on behalf of the families involved. 鈥淲e ask for your continued respect and privacy during this very difficult period of grief.鈥�
Fans laid flowers and hockey sticks for Gaudreau outside Nationwide Arena in downtown Columbus and outside the Flames' home rink in Calgary. Tributes reverberated near and far, with moments of silence in Cincinnati before a Major League Baseball game between the Reds and Milwaukee Brewers and prior to an Olympic qualifying hockey game between Slovakia and Hungary in the Slovakian capital of Bratislava.
The Blue Jackets said Gaudreau 鈥渨as not only a great hockey player, but more significantly a loving husband, father, son, brother and friend.鈥�
鈥淛ohnny played the game with great joy which was felt by everyone that saw him on the ice," the team said in a statement. 鈥淗e brought a genuine love for hockey with him everywhere he played.鈥�
Gaudreau鈥檚 death is the latest off-ice tragedy for the Blue Jackets. Goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks when he was struck in the chest by a firework while attending the wedding of then-Blue Jackets goaltending coach Manny Legace鈥檚 daughter in Michigan.
Gaudreau, at 5-foot-9 and 180 pounds, was part of a generation of hockey players who thrived in an era of speed and skill that made being undersized less of a disadvantage. Winner of the Lady Byng Trophy in 2017 for sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of play, he scored 20-plus goals six times and was a 115-point player in 2021-22 as a first-time NHL All-Star when he had a career-best 40 goals and 75 assists.
鈥淲hile Johnny鈥檚 infectious spirit for the game and show-stopping skills on the ice earned him the nickname 鈥楯ohnny Hockey,鈥� he was more than just a dazzling hockey player; he was a doting father and beloved husband, son, brother and teammate who endeared himself to every person fortunate enough to have crossed his path,鈥� NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said.
NHL Players' Association executive director Marty Walsh said players and staff were devastated by these losses, calling Johnny 鈥渁 beloved teammate and friend in both Calgary and Columbus (and) a joy to watch during his 10 years and 763 games in the NHL.鈥�
A fourth-round pick by Calgary in 2011, Gaudreau had helped Boston College win the NCAA championship in 2012 and took home the Hobey Baker Award as the top college player in the country in 2014 鈥� a season he and his brother played together for the Eagles.
Gaudreau was a nearly point-a-game player with 776 points in 805 regular-season and playoff games since breaking into the league. In 2022, he left the Flames to with the Blue Jackets that put him and his young family in central Ohio, closer to his family in New Jersey.
Social media was about Gaudreau, from to and beyond the sport itself. Former Flames teammate that he was 鈥渃ompletely gutted. The world just lost one of the best.鈥� Retired goaltender Gaudreau one of his favorite teammates.
鈥淎lways happy, always spreading positivity around him," Lack said. "Rest in Peace my friend and prayers for your wonderful family."
NBA superstar LeBron James, who is from Akron, Ohio, said he instantly got sad after seeing the news.
鈥淢y thoughts and prayers goes out to the Gaudreau family,鈥� . 鈥淢ay Johnny and Matthew fly high, guide/guard and bless their family/s from the heavens above.鈥�
The tragedy comes as the Blue Jackets and other NHL teams prepare to open training camp for the season in about three weeks.
鈥淲e will miss him terribly and do everything that we can to support his family and each other through this tragedy,鈥� the team said.
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AP Sports Writer Dan Gelston, Associated Press writer Bruce Shipkowski and AP Hockey Writer John Wawrow contributed.
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AP NHL:
Stephen Whyno, The Associated Press
