NHL star Johnny Gaudreau and brother dead after car hits their bicycles

(NewsNation) — Columbus Blue Jackets star Johnny Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew, have died after their bicycles were hit by a car.

Johnny Gaudreau was 31 and his brother was 29.

"The Columbus Blue Jackets are shocked and devastated by this unimaginable tragedy," the team said in a statement Friday morning. "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 Matt."

Gaudreau was killed Thursday night when he was hit by a car while riding a bicycle in his home state of New Jersey. New Jersey State Police said Gaudreau was one of two cyclists struck and killed by a car in Salem County, New Jersey. Gaudreau's younger brother, Matthew, 29, was the other victim in the crash, police confirmed.

The brothers, who were Carneys Point, New Jersey, natives, were in the area for their sister Katie's wedding scheduled for Friday in Philadelphia.

According to 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,” had played for the Columbus Blue Jackets since the 2022-2023 season when he joined the team as a free agent after playing for the Calgary Flames.

He 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 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.

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 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.

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 was a gifted player but he also left an impact with his sportsmanship. He finished in the top 12 voting for the NHL's Lady Byng Memorial Trophy six times since his career began in 2014, and won the award in 2017. It's given to the player who sets a high standard in his conduct and his play.

“Johnny played the game with great joy which was felt by everyone that saw him on the ice," the Blue Jackets' statement continued. "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.

"Johnny embraced our community when he arrived two years ago, and Columbus welcomed him with open arms. We will miss him terribly and do everything that we can to support his family and each other through this tragedy."

The team asked for prayers for the Gaudreau family and "that their privacy be respected as they grieve.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.