Blue Jackets star Johnny Gaudreau, brother struck and killed by car while riding bikes a day before sister’s wedding: ‘Unimaginable tragedy’

Columbus Blue Jackets player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew, have died, the team announced Friday morning on X.

The brothers were killed when they were struck by a car while riding bikes in Oldmans Township, NJ, Thursday evening, according to police.

Johnny was 31 and Matthew 29.

The driver of the car, Sean Higgins, attempted to pass an SUV in front of him, which had moved into the middle of the roadway to pass the brothers safely on County Route 551 after 8 p.m., per multiple reports. In trying to maneuver past the vehicle on the right, Higgins struck the Gaudreaus from behind.

Higgins was suspected of being drunk — he allegedly told a state trooper he had consumed “five to six” beers” before the crash, per 6ABC. He was arrested and has been charged with two counts of death by auto.

“The Columbus Blue Jackets are shocked and devastated by this unimaginable tragedy,” the team said in a statement. “Johnny was not only a great hockey player, but more significantly a loving husband, father, son, brother and friend. We extend our heartfelt sympathies to his wife, Meredith, his children, Noa and Johnny, his parents, their family and friends on the sudden loss of Johnny and Matthew.”

Gaudreau, who was born in Salem, NJ, played for the Blue Jackets and Calgary Flames across 11 seasons in the NHL. Last season, he appeared in 81 games and tallied 48 points.

Follow the NY Post’s coverage on NHL star Johnny Gaudreau’s tragic death at 31:

He leaves behind his wife, Meredith, and two children Noa, 1, and Johnny, 6 months. 

The tragedy struck one day before the Gaudreau brothers were set to take part as groomsmen in their sister Katie’s wedding to hockey player Devin Joyce in Gloucester City, NJ.

“Johnny played the game with great joy which was felt by everyone that saw him on the ice,” the Blue Jackets said in the statement. “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 grew up in Oldmans Township in New Jersey outside Philadelphia and later attended Boston College, where he was named the Hobey Baker Award winner — college hockey’s highest individual award — in 2014.

The Flames selected Gaudreau in the fourth round during the 2011 NHL Draft.

Gaudreau was a finalist for the Calder Trophy, awarded to the NHL’s top rookie, and appeared in the All-Star game seven times throughout his career. 

“My focus was never squarely on making it to the NHL,” Gaudreau said in a 2016 Players Tribune essay. “I always just tried to advance to the next level, one rung at a time. It’s important to take it slow, because if you immediately try to compare your game to the guys playing in the league, you’re going to get down on yourself pretty quick.

“I’ll never forget my first development camp with the Flames. I was just a college kid in every sense. And I saw these NHL players out there on the ice, and all I could think was, ‘What am I doing here?’ I was so wide-eyed, I almost wanted to ask for autographs.

“Then the next development camp a year later, my attitude shifted to, ‘I think I know what I’m doing here.’ Until finally I got to the point where I was on the ice with NHL players and felt okay telling myself, ‘I know what I’m doing here.’”

Like his brother, Matthew played hockey at Boston College before he signed with the New York Islanders’ minor league affiliate in 2017. He last played professional hockey in 2021, playing in Sweden and the ECHL in the US. 

The Blue Jackets suffered another tragedy in 2021 when goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks, 24, died of chest trauma from being struck by an errant fireworks mortar during a party at a private Michigan home. 

Kivlenieks was in a hot tub and tried to escape the oncoming firework, which had tilted slightly and fired toward a group of people.