NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his younger brother were tragically killed Thursday evening when they were hit by a suspected drunk driver while riding bicycles in New Jersey. Gaudreau, 31 and his brother Matthew, 29, were to be groomsmen tomorrow in their sister Katie’s wedding.
According to the AP, “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.”
Gaudreau spent his first nine seasons in the NHL with the Calgary Flames and this year would have been his third with the Blue Jackets.
The team released a statement that said, “Johnny was not only a great hockey player, but more significantly a loving husband, father, son, brother and friend. Johnny played the game with great joy which was felt by everyone that saw him on the ice. He brought a genuine love for hockey with him everywhere he played.”
Gaudreau is survived by his wife and two young children.
Many in sports media have expressed their thoughts on this unspeakable tragedy:
