Jim Gaudreau, the uncle for both Gaudreaus, released a statement on behalf of the family that’s just heartbreaking.
“Last night we lost two husbands, two fathers, two sons, two brothers, two sons and brothers in law, two nephews, two cousins, two family members, two teammates, two friends, but truly two amazing humans,” it said.
It went on to say that they had received “messages of love” and that they were appreciative.
Hockey is a very tight-knit community, and Notre Dame is part of that community. So when tragedy strikes it, the Irish feel the rightful need to know that they’re mourning as much as those the tragedy directly impacts. Unfortunately, that time has come once again.
The Gaudreau brothers’ time at Boston College spanned from 2011 to 2017. The Irish went 7-6 against the Eagles during that time with most games coming when the Irish were a member of Hockey East. But the Eagles went to three Frozen Fours and won the 2012 national championship. Johnny Gaudreau also won the Hobey Baker Award to cap his collegiate career in 2014.
We at Fighting Irish Wire extended our deepest condolences to the Gaudreau family during this difficult time.
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There’s not a single detail in the Johnny Gaudreau story that doesn’t just rip your heart right out of your chest and snatch it in two.
Gaudreau was a beloved hockey player. He’d already made his mark in the NHL as one of the league’s premier players and was only just getting started with the Blue Jackets. His brother, Matthew, 29, was a minor league hockey player, too.
That news alone is incredibly sad. But, with every detail, the story gets worse.
They weren’t doing anything out of the ordinary. The brothers Gaudreau were reportedly out for a simple late-night bike ride when they were both struck by a seemingly impatient driver who tried to force their way around another vehicle, according to reporting from ESPN.
We’ve learned the two New Jersey natives had a day ahead of them. The Gaudreau brothers were scheduled to be groomsmen at their sister’s wedding in Philadelphia on Friday.
Here’s the worst part: The driver of the vehicle that struck the Gaudreaus was allegedly arrested and charged with two counts of driving under the influence and death by auto, as announced by ESPN’s Mike Greenberg.
Not only did this not have to happen, but it shouldn’t have happened.
Driving under the influence doesn’t just ruin the driver’s life. It doesn’t just end the lives of the victims. It rips families to shreds.
The Gaudreau brothers should be waking up this morning with joy in their hearts. They should be heading to Philly to play their part in the best day of their sister’s life. They should be tying each other’s ties and fixing each other’s collars, making sure that they’re sharp enough for pictures with the family later. Later tonight, they were going to dance until they couldn’t anymore at the wedding reception.
They won’t get to do that now. Instead, their family gets to think about planning two funerals on their sister’s wedding day.
All because someone allegedly decided they were OK to drive last night when they probably knew they shouldn’t have. Calling a rideshare would’ve saved two lives last night. Thousands more lives have been lost to the same story.
There’s not much to say here, man. Don’t drive under the influence. It’s not cool. It never has been. It never will be. There’s no excuse.
An early exit for Carlos Alcaraz
(Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)
In one of the most shocking turn of events in men’s tennis in a long time, Carlos Alcaraz is out in the second round of the US Open.
Not only is he out, but he lost in straight sets to unranked opponent Botic van de Zandschulp, who just easily had the biggest moment of his career. You wouldn’t know it if you were watching the match, though.
This is what acting like you’ve been there before looks like. Van de Zandschulp seems unmoved after taking down arguably the best player in the world.
It’s hard to overstate how big of an upset this is. Alcaraz had just won Wimbledon and the French Open. Van de Zandschulp is unranked. Yet, here we are, with Alcaraz’s season over and Van de Zandschulp moving forward.
What a turn of events. Tennis, man. You’ve got to love it.
College football is still a mad house
Isn’t it just the best? Colorado beat North Dakota State after this wild go-ahead grab in the fourth quarter from Travis Hunter.
The numbers in this one were crazy. Shedeur Sanders finished the game with 445 yards passing and four touchdowns. Hunter finished with 132 yards and three touchdowns. Jimmy Horn Jr. had 198 yards and a touchdown himself.
It’s a horrible, stunning loss of a player and person loved by so many, who was in the middle of an already-stellar career. But it wasn’t just him who died. We also have to mention that his brother, 29-year-old Matthew Gaudreau was killed as well.
With information and rumors swirling on Thursday night on social media before official word on Friday morning, here’s everything we know about the tragic accident that killed the Gaudreau brothers:
Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Gaudreau were killed by a suspected drunk driver while riding their bikes
John Gaudreau, 31, and Matthew Gaudreau, 29, were riding their bikes north on County Route 551 in Oldmans Township on Thursday at 8:19 p.m. At the same time, Sean Higgins, 43, of Woodstown, New Jersey, was driving a Jeep Grand Cherokee north on County Route 551, according to investigators.
Higgins tried to pass two vehicles ahead of him and entered the southbound lanes, police said. An SUV in front of Higgins moved to the middle of the roadway, splitting the north and south lanes in order to safely pass the Gaudreau brothers as they rode their bikes on the right side of the road, according to investigators.
The driver was reportedly arrested and charged with two counts of driving under the influence and death by auto
ESPN's Mike Greenburg announced Johnny Gaudreau's passing on Get Up. Within that, he said the driver of the car was arrested and charged with two counts each of driving under the influence and death by auto. #CBJ
According to a post on a popular wedding site, Gaudreau and his brother were scheduled to be groomsmen in their sister’s wedding Friday in Philadelphia. Gaudreau had two young children, a daughter, Noa, and son, Johnny, with his wife Meredith and both were born in Columbus.
Johnny Gaudreau died at the age of 31 on Thursday.
The hockey world was stunned by the news that was confirmed on Friday morning: Johnny Gaudreau, the 31-year-old forward known as Johnny Hockey, who was born in New Jersey and who had 743 points in his already stellar career, died on Thursday.
Per a statement from the Columbus Blue Jackets, he died on Thursday night, and The Columbus Dispatch says there are reports that he was killed while biking in his native New Jersey. His brother, Matthew, also died.
That’s all the info we have as of publishing this post. The Dispatch adds that “he and Matthew Gaudreau were scheduled to be groomsmen in their sister Katie’s wedding Friday in Philadelphia. Gaudreau’s wife, Meredith, is listed as maid-of-honor.”
The hockey world mourned after the news broke:
Columbus Blue Jackets statement on the passing of Johnny Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew. pic.twitter.com/V2aFykgKIs
Absolutely horrible, Johnny Gaudreau wasn’t just one of the best players this game has seen, he was a father, husband, son and brother. Rest in peace Johnny Hockey. Praying for you and your family ❤️🙏 https://t.co/oFrHKAYa4hpic.twitter.com/lNrw6mChSa
