- Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau were killed in a drunk driving accident one year ago.
- The driver, Sean Higgins, is awaiting trial and faces up to 70 years if convicted on all charges.
- The hockey community has paid tribute to the Gaudreau brothers through various events and memorials.
Aug. 29 marks the one-year anniversary of the deaths of Columbus Blue Jackets star Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew while the two were bicycling in Salem County, New Jersey.
The two were hit by a suspected drunk driver, who’s still awaiting trial on multiple charges.
The deaths rocked the hockey world. Johnny Gaudreau, 31, was a seven-time NHL All-Star with the Calgary Flames and Blue Jackets. Matthew, 29, like his brother, played at Boston College. He retired from a professional hockey career in the ECHL and American Hockey League to coach youth hockey.
The hockey community has rallied around the Gaudreau family. Here’s what has happened with the Gaudreau family, the Blue Jackets, the NHL and the court case in the past year:
The Gaudreau family
Johnny’s wife Meredith and Matthew’s wife Madeline were expecting at the time of their husbands’ deaths. Madeline gave birth in December to son Tripp Matthew, the couple’s first child.
‘Tripp’s now hitting milestones, so that’s heartbreaking because Matt was super excited to be a dad,’ Madeline told ABC’s ‘Good Morning America’ in an interview that aired on Aug. 15 on what would have been Johnny’s 32nd birthday.
‘Our baby Carter looks exactly like him and he’s the happiest 4-month-old I’ve ever seen,’ she told ABC. ‘He just doesn’t stop smiling and I think it’s special because (Johnny) is shining through in Carter a lot.’
The Gaudreau family started the John and Matthew Gaudreau Foundation. It will help youth hockey initiatives, support hockey families who have faced tragedy and help other families who have been affected by drunk driving.
A 5K in May raised money toward building an adaptive playground in New Jersey.
Columbus Blue Jackets
They raised a No. 13 banner to the rafters and rode the memory of Johnny Gaudreau to a much-better-than-expected season. They were in the playoff hunt until the second-to-last day of the season. They finished tied with the Montreal Canadiens for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, losing on the second tiebreaker.
The Blue Jackets should be in the playoff mix again this season as they try to end a five-season postseason drought. They added forward depth by acquiring Charlie Coyle and Miles Wood from the Colorado Avalanche. They also traded backup goalie Daniil Tarasov, which will give Jet Greaves more playing time. Greaves went 5-0 with a 0.80 goals-against average after a late-season call-up.
How NHL, USA Hockey have paid tribute
Both the Blue Jackets and the Flames held ceremonies honoring the Gaudreau brothers. Then-Philadelphia Flyers coach John Tortorella invited their father, Guy, a youth hockey coach, to help with team practices. Guy also helped with practices at the 4 Nations Face-Off. Team USA displayed Johnny’s jersey in the locker room and Miracle on Ice hero Mike Eruzione wore a Gaudreau jersey before the championship game.
The tributes continued during a Stadium Series game as the Blue Jackets entered Ohio Stadium dressed like Johnny did when he headed to practice. The Detroit Red Wings donned the various jerseys worn by the Gaudreau brothers during their careers.
Later in the year, Meredith delivered the Masterton Trophy for perseverance to Sean Monahan, who had signed with Columbus to reunite with his former Flames teammate. Meredith also announced the Blue Jackets’ first-round selections at the 2025 NHL Draft.
Where does the court case stand?
Sean M. Higgins, 44, was indicted on two counts of reckless vehicular homicide, two counts of aggravated manslaughter, one count of tampering with physical evidence and one count of leaving the scene of a fatal accident. He could face 70 years in jail if convicted of all charges. Higgins has pleaded not guilty and turned down a plea offer of 35 years.
The records said Higgins had passed a car on the left and then when another car ahead of him moved to the left to give the cyclists more room, he passed that car on the right and struck the brothers. Police found damage on the passenger side of Higgins’ Jeep.
He was found about a quarter mile from the crash scene, police said, and was taken into custody after failing a field sobriety test.
According to court records, police said Higgins told them he had five to six beers starting between 2 and 3 p.m. and drank two in the car while driving.
‘He stated he was not trying to pass on the right,’ the records said. ‘He just wanted to know what the other car was doing. He admitted that he didn’t see the victims before he struck them. He heard the sound and was unsure what he hit.’
Higgins’ attorneys have filed several motions, including to have their client’s statement to police suppressed. That hearing is scheduled for September.
A judge denied earlier motions seeking to have charges dismissed and to have electronic data from Higgins’ Jeep excluded from trial.