NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (2024)

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By STEPHEN WHYNOAP Hockey Writer
Aug 30, 2024
Aug 30, 2024
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Police say the driver who struck the brothers is suspected of being under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash.

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his younger brother were killed Thursday night when they were hit by a suspected drunk driver while riding their bicycle in their home state of New Jersey, police said.

The 31-year-old Gaudreau and his younger brother, Matthew, 29, are Carneys Point, New Jersey, natives and were in the area for their sister Katie's wedding scheduled for Friday in Philadelphia.

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (1)

According to New Jersey State police, 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. They were pronounced dead at the scene.

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, known as "Johnny Hockey," has played 11 professional seasons in the league and was going into his third with the Blue Jackets. He played his first nine with the Calgary Flames, a tenure that included becoming one of the sport's top players and a fan favorite across North America.

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The Blue Jackets called it an unimaginable tragedy.

"Johnny was not only a great hockey player, but more significantly a loving husband, father, son, brother and friend," the team said in a statement. "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."

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (2)

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. 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.

"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," NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said. "We send our most heart-felt condolences to his wife Meredith; their children, Noa and Johnny; his parents, Guy and Jane; and sisters Kristen and Katie. And we grieve alongside his teammates, members of the Blue Jackets and Flames organizations, his many friends in hockey and countless fans around the world for whom he created indelible memories on and off the ice."

A fourth-round pick of Calgary's in 2011, Gaudreau helped Boston College win the NCAA championship in 2012 and in 2014 took home the Hobey Baker Award as the top college player in the country.

As a professional, Gaudreau finished was part of the NHL all-rookie team during his first season in the league and was third in voting for the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year in 2014-15.

Gaudreau was a point-a-game player with 642 points in 644 regular-season and playoff games since breaking into the league. He most recently signed a seven-year contract in 2022 worth nearly $69 million that put him and his young family in central Ohio, closer to his family in New Jersey.

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (3)

He holds the men's world championship records by a U.S. player with 30 assists and 43 points, earlier this year breaking marks previously held by Patrick Kane.

Gaudreau's death is the latest off-ice tragedy to strike the organization in the past few years. Goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks died in July 2021 when he was struck in the chest by a firework while attending the wedding of then-Blue Jackets goaltending coach Manny Legace's daughter in Michigan.

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AP Sports Writer Dan Gelston in Philadelphia contributed.

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Photos: Notable deaths in 2024

Andreas Brehme

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (4)

Brian Mulroney

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (5)

Akira Toriyama

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (6)

Steve Lawrence

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (7)

Naomi Barber King

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (8)

Paul Alexander

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (9)

Thomas P. Stafford

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (10)

Chris Simon

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (11)

M. Emmet Walsh

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (12)

Laurent de Brunhoff

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (13)

Peter Angelos

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (14)

Joe Lieberman

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (15)

Louis Gossett Jr.

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (16)

Joe Flaherty

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (17)

John Sinclair

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (18)

Larry Lucchino

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (19)

Christopher Durang

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (20)

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NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (21)

Schappell Twins

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (22)

Peter Higgs

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (23)

Ralph Puckett Jr.

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (24)

O.J. Simpson

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (25)

Eleanor Coppola

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (26)

Robert MacNeil

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (27)

Faith Ringgold

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (28)

Steve Sloan

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (29)

Ken Holtzman

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (30)

Carl Erskine

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (31)

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NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (32)

Bob Graham

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (33)

Dickey Betts

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (34)

Mandisa

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (35)

David Pryor

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (36)

Roman Gabriel

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (37)

Andrew Davis

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (38)

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NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (39)

Duane Eddy

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (40)

Paul Auster

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (41)

Dick Rutan

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (42)

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NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (43)

Jimmy Johnson

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (44)

Sean Burroughs

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (45)

Roger Corman

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (46)

A.J. Smith

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (47)

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NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (48)

Obit Alice Munro

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (49)

Dabney Coleman

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (50)

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (51)

Jim Otto

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (52)

Ivan Boesky

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (53)

Jan. A.P. Kaczmarek

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (54)

Carlie Colin

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (55)

Morgan Spurlock

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (56)

Richard M. Sherman

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (57)

Bill Walton

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (58)

Albert Ruddy

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (59)

Larry Allen

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (60)

Janis Paige

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (61)

Parnelli Jones

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (62)

Chet Walker

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (63)

The Rev. James Lawson Jr.

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (64)

Jerry West

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (65)

Ron Simons

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (66)

Bob Schul

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (67)

Willie Mays

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (68)

Donald Sutherland

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (69)

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NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (70)

Kinky Friedman

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (71)

Martin Mull

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (72)

Robert Towne

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (73)

Vic Seixas

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (74)

Obit Jon Landau

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (75)

James Inhofe

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (76)

Joe Bonsall

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (77)

Shelley Duvall

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (78)

Dr. Ruth Westheimer

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (79)

Richard Simmons

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (80)

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NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (81)

Shannen Doherty

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (82)

James Sikking

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (83)

Pat Williams

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (84)

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NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (85)

Bob Newhart

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (86)

Cheng Pei-Pei

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (87)

Abdul 'Duke' Fakir

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (88)

Bernice Johnson Reagon

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (89)

John Mayall

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (90)

Erica Ash

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (91)

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NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car (2024)

FAQs

How many kids did Johnny Gaudreau have? ›

The late hockey star shares his two children with his wife Meredith, with whom he tied the knot with in Philadelphia on Sept. 4, 2021. PEOPLE confirmed last week that Johnny and his younger brother died in a biking accident in Oldmans Township, New Jersey, close to their hometown of Salem Count.

Discover More ›

How old is Matthew Gaudreau? ›

Johnny, 31, and his brother, Matthew, 29, were fatally struck by a vehicle on Thursday evening while riding their bicycles in Oldmans Township, New Jersey. Both were to serve as groomsmen at the Friday wedding of their sister, Katie.

Did Johnny Gaudreau have a baby? ›

Johnny and Meredith welcomed their first baby — a daughter named Noa Harper — in September 2022. They became two-time parents earlier this year, when Meredith gave birth to son Johnny Edward in February.

Explore More ›

How much did Johnny Gaudreau weigh when he was drafted? ›

Gaudreau — who was listed at 5-foot-6, 137 pounds and ranked No. 193 by Central Scouting that year — only had a few NHL clubs speak to his coach and advisor and did not expect to be drafted.

Get More Info ›

How many siblings are in Johnny Gaudreau's family? ›

Little brother Matthew was part of the wedding party, too. So was the eldest of the four Gaudreau siblings, sister Kristen, the maid of honor. All were looking ahead to one more glorious day in a life seemingly filled with them as the first family of hockey in South Jersey.

Find Out More ›

How did Johnny meet Meredith? ›

Meredith was Johnny's No. 1 fan on the ice as he played for the Columbus Blue Jackets.

How long was Johnny Gaudreau married? ›

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.

Read On ›

Why is Johnny Gaudreau nicknamed Johnny Hockey? ›

2. Johnny Manziel Inspired Nickname. In college and into his NHL career, fans referred to Gaudreau as “Johnny Hockey”. As the story goes, the nickname was created as a fun spinoff of former NFL quarterback Johnny Manziel's nickname.

Show Me More ›