South Jersey’s community is mourning after hearing the news that Johnny Gaudreau, National Hockey League seven-time All-Star, and his brother Matthew were struck and killed the evening of Aug. 29 while bicycling not far from where they grew up in Salem County.
According to the New Jersey State Police, the crash occurred around 8:30 p.m. on Pennsville Auburn Road near Stumpy Lane in Oldmans Township. Police said the driver of the vehicle, Sean M. Higgins, 43, of Woodstown, is suspected of being under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash. Higgins remained at the scene of the accident, and he was charged with two counts of death by auto, police said. He was taken to Salem County Correctional Facility.
Johnny Gaudreau was 31. Matthew Gaudreau was 29. According to published reports, Gaudreau and his brother were scheduled to be groomsmen in their sister Katie’s wedding Aug. 30 in Philadelphia.
The brothers, both former students of Gloucester Catholic High School, had deep ties to the community. Each year, Johnny Gaudreau hosted a golf fundraiser for Gloucester Catholic to help students with tuition. Matthew Gaudreau coached the Gloucester Catholic ice hockey team the last two seasons, a position once held by his father, Guy Gaudreau.
RELATED: Johnny Gaudreau stops by the Talking Catholic Podcast
“Johnny and Matt were incredible hockey players and students, but even more amazing human beings,” Gloucester Catholic Principal Thomas Iacovone Jr. said. “Their loss will be felt forever by the entire Gloucester Catholic community and by me personally.
“It’s a hard day. I’ve stayed in contact with the family [over the years], with Johnny through the golf tournament, mostly. Matty, I got to know more with him coaching the hockey team,” Iacovone continued, adding that the Gaudreaus’ sister Katie is the dance teacher for his daughter. “They are just amazing people. They are a family that loves one another, and they are a family that always gives back. They’ve never forgotten their roots, and Gloucester Catholic is a big part of that. They’ve given so much to the school and so much to the community.”
About the brothers, he said, “If you can tell by the way someone lives their life, they were as good as it gets. … Personally, faith is the only way to get through something like this. This is one of those situations that you just don’t understand. You just have to keep praying for the family and keep praying for the souls of Johnny and Matt. … I will continue to pray for them and their families during this unimaginable tragedy.”
Johnny Gaudreau played hockey at Gloucester Catholic High School before graduating from Dubuque Senior High School in Iowa. He furthered his scholastic career at Boston College, where he won the Hobey Baker Award as the NCAA’s top player in 2014 before starting his professional career with the Calgary Flames. Gaudreau spent nine seasons in Calgary before signing as a free agent in 2022 with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Gaudreau was preparing for the third year of his seven-year, $68.25 million contract with the Blue Jackets.
“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.”
In a statement, the team said, “The Columbus Blue Jackets are shocked and devastated by this unimaginable tragedy. Johnny was not only a great hockey player, but more significantly a loving husband, father, son, brother and friend.”
Matthew Gaudreau also played professional hockey, last appearing as a member of the Reading Royals of the East Coast Hockey League during the 2021-22 season. He previously played for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the American Hockey League (AHL) and their ECHL affiliate, the Worcester Railers. The Gaudreau brothers played together at Boston College during the 2013–14 season.
“Both Johnny and Matthew will be mourned at Boston College, where they were teammates the year Johnny won the Hobey Baker Award in 2013-14, and at Gloucester Catholic High School in New Jersey, where both played and where Matthew was the head hockey coach following his own five-year pro playing career,” Bettman said.
Though Matthew Gaudreau had recently stepped down from his position as Gloucester Catholic’s hockey coach, he continued to volunteer. “He wanted to continue to help the program,” Iacovone said.
The annual Johnny Gaudreau Scholarship Golf Tournament, now in its eighth year, was held last month — July 26 at Blue Heron Golf Club in Egg Harbor City, N.J. The tournament typically raises from $50,000 to $75,000 each year.
“My family and I really enjoy putting the golf tournament together for a great cause and helping the school that we all went to and were a part of for so long,” Gaudreau said during the 2023 golf tournament.
“He was incredible. He really was,” Iacovone said of Johnny Gaudreau. “What he accomplished at Gloucester Catholic, in college and in the NHL, it just goes without saying the kind of athlete and hockey player he was. But I can’t stress enough what kind of person he was. Matty was the same thing. He was an incredible hockey player in his own right. But also just a great person.”
In a statement, the school said, “Johnny and Matt truly loved Gloucester Catholic, and the entire Gaudreau family have always been loyal and dedicated supporters of Gloucester Catholic. Along with their incredible talents on the ice, they will be remembered even more by our GC Family as loving sons, brothers, fathers, husbands, friends and role models.”
On the ice, Gaudreau recorded 243 goals and 500 assists in 763 NHL games. Internationally, Gaudreau sits atop the all-time USA hockey list for points in the IIHF World Championship with 43 career points. Gaudreau also won gold for Team USA in the World Junior Championships in 2013, scoring seven goals in seven tournament games.
“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. 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.”
Johnny Gaudreau is survived by his wife, Meredith, and their two children, Noa and Johnny. Matthew Gaudreau is survived by his wife, Madeline. They are also survived by their parents, Guy and Jane; and their sisters, Kristen and Katie.
at the bottom and then tap “Add to Home Screen”
