Hockey Community Mourns Loss of Gaudreau Brothers
Tributes poured in Friday for NHL hockey player Johnny Gaudreau and his younger brother after the star forward’s death shook the hockey community.
Johnny, 31, and his brother Matthew, 29, were killed Thursday night when they were hit by a suspected drunken driver while riding their bicycles in their home state of New Jersey, police said Friday.
Johnny “was more than just an outstanding hockey player,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement. “He was a loving father and loving husband, son, brother and companion who endeared himself to every fortunate person who crossed his path.”
“Johnny Hockey,” as he was known, has played 11 professional seasons in the league and was going into his third with the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Blue Jackets mourned his loss in a statement on X.
He played his first nine seasons with the Calgary Flames, a tenure that included becoming one of the top players in the game and becoming a fan favorite across North America.
“It is with great sadness that we mourn the tragic death of our friend Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew Gaudreau,” Flame said in a post on social media platform X. “Our hearts are broken by this devastating loss. Johnny was and always will be. Be a member of the Flames family and be loved by all of Calgary.”
“Absolutely devastated. The world just lost one of the best,” Flames forward Blake Coleman posted on social media site X. RIP Johnny
“Johnny Gaudreau may have come from the States, but hockey fans in Calgary and across Canada will remember him as one of their own,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a post on X.
“Thinking of his colleagues, friends and the Gaudreau family today.”
USA Hockey said: “Words cannot adequately describe the sadness of the hockey community.”
My thoughts and prayers go out to the Gaudreau family. May Johnny and Matthew fly high, guide/protect and bless their family from the heavens above,” NBA star LeBron James, who grew up in Akron, Ohio, said on social media.
“The loss of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau was devastating,” said MLB star Mike Trout.
Several other NHL teams also joined in the mourning.
The Toronto Maple Leafs join the entire hockey community in mourning the sudden and tragic passing of Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew.”
“Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences go out to the Gaudreau family, their friends, the Columbus Blue Jackets and Calgary Flames organizations, and all who knew and loved Johnny and Matthew during this unimaginably difficult time.”
Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving released a statement saying, “I am absolutely devastated by the news of the passing of Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew. John was a truly special player, with incredible talent on the ice. was shining, but what really made him special was the person he was off the ice.”
It’s not easy trying to find the right words today,” Flames defenseman Rasmus Anderson said in a post on X.
“You were a hell of a hockey player but this is the person that Johnny will always be with me, one of my closest friends, it didn’t matter if we didn’t talk for a day or a week. We always knew where we were!”
Marty Walsh, executive director of the National Hockey League Players Association, called Johnny “a joy to watch during his 10 years and 763 games in the NHL.”
Walsh noted Johnny’s hockey career at Boston College where he and Matthew both played. He said Matthew played professional hockey in the AHL and ECHL.
“The players and staff of the NHLPA are devastated by these terrible losses. Our heartfelt condolences go out to the entire Gaudreau family — Johnny’s wife, Meredith, and their children, Nova and Johnny; Matthew’s wife; , Madeleine; his parents, Guy and Jane; and his sisters, Kristen and Katie.”
A memorial was set up outside the Nationwide Arena in Columbus as fans left flowers and photos.
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Longtime NHL executive Brian Burke, who had Johnny in Calgary and with the U.S. national team, said it can’t be overstated how much fun it was to have him.
“First and foremost, Johnny was always the first to raise his hand to give back to the community,” Burke wrote in a statement on X.
“What I will remember most was his joy, enthusiasm and kindness that radiated through the locker room every day.”
Former Blue Jackets head coach Pascal Vincent, now the coach of the American Hockey League’s Laval Rockets, said it was an honor to know “the real Johnny Gaudreau — the person behind the hockey player.”
“He was a humble and unassuming young man of extraordinary talent who never sought to be the center of attention,” Vincent said in a statement sent by the Montreal Canadiens. “Instead, he enjoyed life’s simple pleasures and had a quiet strength of character. His passion for the game and exceptional hockey sense allowed him to achieve greatness, yet he remained true to himself. And stayed true.
Jerry York, who coached the Gaudreau brothers at Boston College, said the news was devastating. “Both Matty and Johnny were loved by all of us,” he said in a phone interview with The Associated Press. “Amazing young people, and they inspired so many of us off the ice.”
