Current:Home > MarketsNHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car -Streamline Finance
NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother have died after their bicycles were hit by a car
View
Date:2025-04-26 17:53:41
NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his younger brother were killed Thursday night when they were hit by a suspected drunk driver while riding their bicycle in their home state of New Jersey, police said.
The 31-year-old Gaudreau and his younger brother, Matthew, 29, are Carneys Point, New Jersey, natives and were in the area for their sister Katie’s wedding scheduled for Friday in Philadelphia.
According to New Jersey State 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,” 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.
The Blue Jackets called it an unimaginable tragedy.
“Johnny was not only a great hockey player, but more significantly a loving husband, father, son, brother and friend,” the team said in a statement. “Johnny played the game with great joy which was felt by everyone that saw him on the ice. He brought a genuine love for hockey with him everywhere he played.”
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.
“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,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said. “We send our most heart-felt condolences to his wife Meredith; their children, Noa and Johnny; his parents, Guy and Jane; and sisters Kristen and Katie. And we grieve alongside his teammates, members of the Blue Jackets and Flames organizations, his many friends in hockey and countless fans around the world for whom he created indelible memories on and off the ice.”
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 $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’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.
___
AP Sports Writer Dan Gelston in Philadelphia contributed.
___
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL
veryGood! (93)
Related
- Blake Lively’s Inner Circle Shares Rare Insight on Her Life as a Mom to 4 Kids
- The Justice Department says there’s no valid basis for the judge to step aside from Trump’s DC case
- Ukrainian forces reclaim a village in the east as part of counteroffensive
- Peta Murgatroyd Shares Why She Wanted to Return to DWTS 10 Weeks After Giving Birth
- Audit: California risked millions in homelessness funds due to poor anti-fraud protections
- Indiana man charged with child neglect after 2-year-old finds gun on bed and shoots him in the back
- 350 migrants found 'crowded and dehydrated' in trailer in Mexico, authorities say
- Why Demi Lovato Felt She Was in Walking Coma Years After Her Near-Fatal 2018 Overdose
- Organizers cancel Taylor Swift concerts in Vienna over fears of an attack
- Imagine making shadowy data brokers erase your personal info. Californians may soon live the dream
Ranking
- From family road trips to travel woes: Americans are navigating skyrocketing holiday costs
- Ohio attorney general rejects language for political mapmaking reform amendment for a second time
- Manhunt ends after Cavalcante capture, Biden's polling low on economy: 5 Things podcast
- Tensions rise on Italian island amid migrant surge, posing headache for government
- Michigan lawmaker who was arrested in June loses reelection bid in Republican primary
- Belgium requires a controversial class program. Now schools are burning and the country is worried
- Josh Duhamel becomes counselor of 'big adult summer camp' with 'Buddy Games' reality show
- Why are so many people behaving badly? 5 Things podcast
Recommendation
Working Well: When holidays present rude customers, taking breaks and the high road preserve peace
Kim Jong Un stops to see a fighter jet factory as Russia and North Korea are warned off arms deals
Southern Charm's Craig Conover Breaks Silence on Paige DeSorbo Cheating Accusation
Sean Penn goes after studio execs' 'daughter' in bizarre comments over AI debate
'Malcolm in the Middle’ to return with new episodes featuring Frankie Muniz
AP Week in Pictures: Global | Sept. 8-14, 2023
An eye in the sky nabbed escaped murderer Danelo Cavalcante. It's sure to be used more in US
Russia raises key interest rate again as inflation and exchange rate worries continue