Fans, friends and athletes from the hockey world and beyond joined in an outpouring of love and sorrow for the family of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau.
NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew were killed Thursday night when they were hit by a car while riding bicycles in their home state of New Jersey. Johnny was 31, Matthew was 29.
Affectionately known as “Johnny Hockey,” Johnny Gaudreau starred over parts of nine seasons with the Calgary Flames before joining the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2022.
“Completely gutted. The world just lost one of the best. RIP Johnny,” Flames forward Blake Coleman, who played with Gaudreau during the 2021-22 season, said on social media.
The Flames projected a tribute on the jumbotron at Scotiabank Saddledome, the team’s home arena where Johnny Gaudreau became an NHL star. An image of Gaudreau celebrating a goal was next to the words “In Loving Memory, Johnny Gaudreau, 1993-2024.”
“It’s with great sadness, we mourn the tragic deaths of our friend Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew Gaudreau,” the Flames wrote in a statement.
“Our hearts are broken by this devastating loss. Johnny was and always will be a member of the Flames family and loved by all of Calgary.”
The two brothers were in Carneys Point, N.J, for their sister Katie’s wedding scheduled for Friday in Philadelphia, at which they were to be groomsmen.
New Jersey State police said Friday the Gaudreau brothers were cycling on a road when a man driving in the same direction attempted to pass two other vehicles and struck them from behind, causing fatal injuries.
Police said the driver, Sean M. Higgins, was suspected of being under the influence of alcohol and charged with two counts of death by auto and jailed at the Salem County Correctional Facility.
Johnny Gaudreau was a seven-time NHL all-star and a Hobey Baker Award winner as the top men’s player in college hockey, despite being undersized at five-foot-nine and 180 pounds.
Longtime NHL executive Brian Burke, who was the Flames’ president of hockey operations from 2013 to 2018, highlighted Gaudreau’s passion for the game, and dedication to his family and the Calgary community.
“My heart goes out to the Gaudreau family after the tragic loss of Johnny and Matthew,” Burke wrote in a statement on social media. “First and foremost, Johnny was always the first to raise his hand to give back to the community. When we had any charity requests, we always knew he would say yes, without hesitation. His love of his family, friends, and alma matter was always apparent and was clearly the driving force in his life. What I will remember most was his happiness, enthusiasm, and kindness that radiated out through the locker room every day.
“There are few players in hockey history who matched his passion and love for the game of hockey.”
Gaudreau is survived by his wife, Meredith, and his children, Noa and Johnny.
The Tsuut’ina Nation, located southwest of Calgary, mourned the death of “an instant fan favourite.”
“Tsuut’ina is in a state of shock at the news of the tragic deaths of Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew. It’s no secret that most Tsuut’ina people are rabid hockey fans, and this news hits hard,” Tsuut’ina Chief Roy Whitney said in a statement.
“Johnny was simply magical on the ice. I cannot remember another player with such skating skill and such mastery of the game, and yet with a gentle demeanour and humility that made him an instant fan favourite.
“On behalf of everyone at Tsuut’ina, I wish God’s peace to his entire beloved family. Johnny will live on in our hearts.”
Former Blue Jackets head coach Pascal Vincent, now the coach of the American Hockey League’s Laval Rocket, said it was a privilege to get to know “the real Johnny Gaudreau — the person behind the hockey player.”
“He was a humble and unassuming young man with extraordinary talent, who never sought to be in the spotlight,” Vincent said in a statement through the Montreal Canadiens. “Instead, he enjoyed life’s simple pleasures and possessed a quiet strength of character. His passion for the game and exceptional hockey sense allowed him to achieve greatness, yet he remained grounded and true to himself.
“I had the pleasure of meeting his wonderful family, including his wife, children, and parents. My thoughts are with them today. It’s an honour to have known not only the incredible hockey player but also the kind and believed person Johnny was to everyone he met.”
The tributes extended across the sports world, with some of the biggest basketball and baseball stars sending their condolences to the Gaudreau family.
“My thoughts and prayers goes out to the Gaudreau family. May Johnny and Matthew fly high, guide/guard and bless their family/s from the heavens above,” NBA star LeBron James, who grew up in Akron, Ohio, said on social media.
“Devastated by the loss of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau. Sending my deepest condolences and love to their family,” said MLB star Mike Trout.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 30, 2024.
