NHL star Johnny Gaudreau and brother killed in car accident

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother tragically passed away in a car crash in New Jersey last night.

According to authorities in New Jersey, a car hit two men on bicycles in Oldsman Township. The men were brothers, with the older one being a 31-year-old player for the Columbus Blue Jackets and the younger one being 29-year-old Matthew.

The man driving the car, Sean Higgins, who is 43 years old, was taken into custody and accused of causing a deadly crash, as stated by authorities.

Gaudreau's team described the incident as a "terrible tragedy" in a statement.

The Columbus Blue Jackets mentioned that Johnny excelled not just in hockey, but also in his roles as a husband, father, son, brother, and friend.

Gaudreau's sibling, Matthew, was a professional hockey player who used to compete for the Reading Royals team in Pennsylvania.

The Gaudreau siblings traveled to New Jersey to participate in their sister's wedding in Philadelphia on Friday. They were set to be part of the bridal party as groomsmen, as reported by the Columbus Dispatch, a nearby news source.

Authorities stated that Mr. Higgins struck the brothers with his vehicle from behind while trying to overtake two other cars on the roadway.

Mr. Higgins is believed to have been driving drunk and is now in custody at the Salem County Correctional Facility according to authorities in New Jersey.

Known as "Johnny Hockey", Gaudreau played as a forward for the Blue Jackets and scored a total of 243 goals during his time in the NHL spanning 11 years.

Johnny Gaudreau started playing for the Ohio team in 2022, after he was with the Calgary Flames in Canada before.

Gaudreau brought a lot of happiness to the game, and everyone who saw him play felt it, according to the Columbus Blue Jackets.

"He excited fans like only Johnny Hockey can," the team included.