Columbus Blue Jackets’ Johnny Gaudreau and brother die in bicycle accident
Columbus Blue Jackets winger Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew have died after they were struck by a vehicle while riding as “pedalcyclists” on Thursday, New Jersey state police said.
According to police, a driver of a Jeep Grand Cherokee hit the Gaudreaus from behind while trying to pass an SUV on the right that had moved over to make way for the two pedalcyclists.
The driver is suspected of being under the influence of alcohol and has been charged with two counts of death by auto, police said. They said the investigation is ongoing.
The New Jersey natives were in the area for their sister Katie’s wedding scheduled for Friday in Philadelphia.
The Blue Jackets did not initially disclose details of how the brothers died in a statement Friday on social media, describing it as an “unimaginable tragedy”.
“Johnny played the game with great joy which was felt by everyone that saw him on the ice,” the statement read. “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.”
Columbus Blue Jackets statement on the passing of Johnny Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew. pic.twitter.com/V2aFykgKIs
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) August 30, 2024
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.
Gaudreau, at 5ft 9in and 180lbs, 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.
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 $69m that put him and his young family in central Ohio, closer to his family in New Jersey.
He holds the men’s world championship records by a US 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.
“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.”