Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau remembered 1 year after tragic accident

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Friday marks one year since Columbus Blue Jackets star Johnny Gaudreau and his younger brother Matthew were killed in a tragic crash in their home state of New Jersey.

The brothers were riding their bicycles on Aug. 29, 2024, when police say they were struck from behind by a suspected drunken driver. They had been in the area to celebrate their sister Katie’s wedding.

According to New Jersey State Police, Johnny and Matthew were cycling when an SUV tried to pass two other vehicles and hit them from behind. Both were pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver, Sean M. Higgins, was charged with two counts of death by auto, reckless driving, possession of an open container and consuming alcohol in a motor vehicle. Investigators said Higgins admitted to drinking “five or six beers” before the crash and failed a field sobriety test. 

Johnny Gaudreau, known across the NHL as “Johnny Hockey,” played 11 professional seasons and was preparing for his third with the Blue Jackets. He spent his first nine with the Calgary Flames, becoming one of the league’s brightest stars and a fan favorite.

Off the ice, Gaudreau was remembered as a devoted family man. He and his wife, Meredith, married in 2021 and had three children together. After his passing, the Blue Jackets called him “a great hockey player, but more significantly a loving husband, father, son, brother and friend.”

In the months since, fans, family and the hockey community have rallied to honor both Johnny and Matthew.

The first memorial 5K run raised more than $500,000, money that will help build an accessible playground at Archbishop Damiano School in New Jersey, where the brothers’ mother works. The project also honors their grandmother, who spent more than four decades at the school before her death in 2023.

And in June, Meredith Gaudreau took the stage at the NHL Draft to announce the Blue Jackets’ first-round picks. Fans at the Peacock Theater rose to their feet, chanting “Johnny! Johnny!” as she thanked the hockey world for its support.

“It’s truly an honor to be here, and from the bottom of my heart, I thank you,” she told the crowd.

One year later, the loss of Johnny and Matthew is still felt deeply — but so is the impact of their lives, on the ice, at home and in the communities they touched.

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