2 weeks Ago By ESPN
Columbus Blue Jackets winger Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew have died in what the team called an "unimaginable tragedy." Johnny Gaudreau was 31, and Matthew was 29. The brothers were riding bicycles when were struck and killed by a vehicle on Thursday night in Salem County, New Jersey.
The Columbus Blue Jackets, as well as New Jersey state troopers, confirmed the passing of the Gaudreau brothers Friday morning. The crash around 8:30 p.m.
on Pennsville Auburn Road. According to New Jersey State Police, the driver did stay at the scene. The team posted to social media, saying they are "shocked and devastated by this unimaginable tragedy.
" "Johnny played the game with great joy which was felt by everyone that saw him on the ice," the Blue Jackets wrote. "He brought a genuine love for hockey with him everywhere he played from Boston College to the Calgary Flames to Team USA to the Blue Jackets. He thrilled fans in a way only Johnny Hockey could.
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." Gaudreau played in 11 NHL seasons for the Flames and Blue Jackets. He joined Columbus for the 2022-23 season and posted 12 goals and 48 assists in 81 games last season.
"The National Hockey League family is shocked and saddened by the tragic passing of Columbus Blue Jackets forward Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew," NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement. "While Johnny's infectious spirit for the game and show-stopping skills on the ice earned him the nickname 'Johnny Hockey,' 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." Matthew Gaudreau also played at Boston College and for various teams in the minor leagues.
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