Johnny Gaudreau killed by alleged drunk driver

Columbus Blue Jackets winger Johnny Gaudreau and his younger brother were killed Thursday night when they were struck by a suspected drunk driver while riding bicycles in their home state of New Jersey, police said Friday.

Gaudreau, 31, and his brother Matthew, 29, are from Carneys Point, New Jersey, and were set to be groomsmen at their sister Katie's wedding, scheduled for Friday in Philadelphia.

New Jersey State Police said the Gaudreau brothers were riding their bicycles on a road when a man driving an SUV heading in the same direction attempted to pass two other vehicles and struck them from behind. They were pronounced dead at the scene.

Police said the driver, 43-year-old Sean M. Higgins, is suspected of being under the influence of alcohol and is charged with two counts of vehicular manslaughter, reckless driving, possession of an open container and consumption of alcohol in a motor vehicle. He was taken into custody at the Salem County Correctional Facility.

According to the criminal complaint obtained by The Associated Press, Higgins told an officer he had five or six beers before the crash and admitted to drinking alcohol while driving. He failed a breathalyzer test. His blood alcohol level was not immediately available.

Johnny Gaudreau, known as “Johnny Hockey,” played eleven professional seasons in the league and was set to begin his third with the Blue Jackets. He played his first nine seasons with the Calgary Flames, where he became one of the best players in the game and a fan favorite across North America.

“Just devastating news for everyone associated with the Gaudreau family,” Jerry York, who coached the Gaudreau brothers at Boston College, said in a phone interview with the AP. “Both Matty and Johnny were incredibly 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 the sport of hockey. Gaudreau has been married to his wife Meredith since 2021 and they have two children under the age of 2, Noa, who was born in September 2022, and Johnny, who was born in February.

Blue Jackets and NHL react to Johnny Gaudreau’s death

The Blue Jackets said Gaudreau was “not only a great hockey player, but most importantly, a loving husband, father, son, brother and friend.”

“Johnny played the game with great joy that was felt by everyone who saw him on the ice. He brought a genuine love of hockey everywhere he played,” the team said in a statement.

Gaudreau, 5'9″ and 180 pounds, was part of a generation of hockey players who thrived in an era of speed and skill when being undersized was less of a disadvantage. He scored 20-plus goals six times and was a 115-point player as a first-time NHL All-Star during the 2021-22 season, when he set personal bests with 40 goals and 75 assists.

“Johnny's infectious play and breathtaking skills on the ice earned him the nickname 'Johnny Hockey,' but he was more than just a dazzling hockey player; he was a loving father and beloved husband, son, brother and teammate who endeared himself to everyone who was fortunate enough to cross his path,” said NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman.

Marty Walsh, executive director of the NHLPA, said: “Johnny was a beloved teammate and friend in both Calgary and Columbus, and it was a joy to watch him during his 10 years and 763 games in the NHL. … The players and staff of the NHLPA are devastated by these terrible losses.”

Gaudreau was selected in the fourth round by Calgary in 2011 and helped Boston College win the NCAA championship in 2012. In 2014, he received the Hobey Baker Award as the country's best college player.

As a professional, Gaudreau was named to the All-Rookie Team in his first season in the NHL and finished third in voting for the Calder Trophy as Rookie of the Year in 2014–15.

Gaudreau was a one-point-per-game player, scoring 642 points in 644 regular-season and playoff games since entering the league. In 2022, he left the Flames to sign a seven-year contract worth nearly $69 million with the Blue Jackets, bringing him and his young family to central Ohio, closer to his family in New Jersey.

There was a flood of news about Gaudreau on social media – from USA Hockey to the Flames and beyond the sport.

Longtime general manager Brian Burke, who managed Gaudreau in Calgary and with the U.S. national team, said they cannot overstate what a joy it is to have him around.

“There are few players in hockey history that matched his passion and love for the game,” Burke said. “His talent on the ice was enhanced, not diminished, by the fact that he was out there having fun.”

Former Flames teammate Blake Coleman wrote that he was “absolutely devastated. The world just lost one of its best.” Former goaltender Eddie Lack called Gaudreau one of his favorite teammates.

“Always happy, always positive vibes around him,” Lack said. “Rest in peace my friend, and prayers for your wonderful family.”

NBA superstar LeBron James, a native of Akron, Ohio, said he was immediately saddened when he saw the news.

“My thoughts and prayers are with the Gaudreau family,” James said. “May Johnny and Matthew fly high and guide/protect and bless their family(s) from heaven.”

In international games, Gaudreau holds the men's World Cup record as a U.S. player with 30 assists and 43 points.

Gaudreau's death is the latest off-ice tragedy to hit the organization in recent years. Goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks died in July 2021 when he was struck in the chest by fireworks at the wedding of the daughter of then-Blue Jackets goaltending coach Manny Legace in Michigan.

Three weeks before the start of the league's training camps, the team now has to cope with another unexpected defeat.

“We will miss him terribly and are doing all we can to support his family and ourselves during this tragedy,” the Blue Jackets said. “During this time, we ask for prayers for the Gaudreau family and that their privacy is respected as they grieve.”

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