Columbus Blue Jackets’ Johnny Gaudreau dead in New Jersey crash

Blue Jackets star forward Johnny Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew, died Thursday night, the team said. Police said they were killed while biking Thursday night in Oldmans Township, New Jersey, close to their hometown in Salem County, New Jersey.

Gaudreau, 31, was the Blue Jackets’ top forward after signing in July 2022 as an unrestricted free agent from the Calgary Flames. 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.

Matthew Gaudreau was 29.

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The New Jersey state police said the Gaudreau brothers died after a suspected drunk driver crashed into them shortly after 8 p.m. as they biked along a rural road.

Sean Higgins, the driver, was charged with two counts of death by auto and taken to the Salem County Correctional Facility. Authorities have not said when Higgins will make his initial court appearance.

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Troopers suspected Higgins, 43, from Woodstown, New Jersey, was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash, according to a report released Friday morning.

Higgins drove a Jeep Grand Cherokee northbound on a county road when he pulled behind a sedan and SUV. He tried to pass the slower-moving sedan and SUV before entering the road’s southbound lanes.

The SUV in front of Higgins moved to the middle of the road, splitting the north and south lanes, to pass the Gaudreau brothers traveling north on their bikes.

Higgins tried to pass the SUV on the right and struck the two bicyclists in the rear, the highway patrol said. The brothers suffered fatal injuries.

Blue Jackets issue statement

The Blue Jackets released the following statement Friday morning:

“The Columbus Blue Jackets are shocked and devastated by this unimaginable tragedy. Johnny was not only a great hockey player, but more significantly a loving husband, father, son, brother and friend. We extend our heartfelt sympathies to his wife, Meredith, his children, Noa and Johnny, his parents, their family and friends on the sudden loss of Johnny and Matthew. 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, from Boston College to the Calgary Flames to Team USA to the Blue Jackets.

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“He thrilled fans in a way only Johnny Hockey could. The impact he had on our organization and our sport was profound, but pales in comparison to the indelible impression he made on everyone who knew him. Johnny embraced our community whe he arrived two years ago and Columbus welcomed him with open arms. We will miss him terribly and do everything that we can to support his family and each other through this tragedy. At this time, we ask for prayers for the Gaudreau family and that their privacy be respected as they grieve.”

A Blue Jackets spokesman said the team will not be making any further comments until a later date.

Gaudreau’s death happened three years after Blue Jackets goalie Matiss Kivlenieks was killed in a fireworks incident on July 4, 2021 in Novi, Michigan, at the home of Manny Legacy, the team’s former goalie coach.

After two disappointing seasons on the ice, Gaudreau went into this summer with the intention of having a rebound year powered by his offseason training. That included playing for the United States in May at the men’s world championships in Czechia. Gaudreau impressed with three goals, eight assists and 11 points in eight games to finish third on the team in scoring and he tied for fourth in the tournament.

He also led the Blue Jackets with 12-48-60 in 81 games last season, the second year in a row Gaudreau led the team in points, but it was a 14-point drop from his first season in Columbus (2022-23). It was also 55 points lower than Gaudreau’s final season in Calgary, which preceded his surprising decision in July 2022 to sign a seven-year deal with the Blue Jackets worth $68.25 million.

The move was criticized across the NHL, especially in Calgary, but Gaudreau never wavered in his primary reason behind picking the Blue Jackets. He and Meredith wanted to raise their kids in Columbus, which is closer to their families in New Jersey. Gaudreau was also impressed Blue Jackets fans, who showed up in large numbers the past two years despite a mountain of losses.

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His goal was to give them more to cheer about, and that challenge got a boost July 1 with the Blue Jackets signing center Sean Monahan, a close friend and former Flames teammate. Heading toward training camp, new coach Dean Evason appeared to have two of his three forward spots filled on the top line with Gaudreau at left wing and Monahan in the middle. Now, a week after trading Patrik Laine to the Montreal Canadiens, there’s a large void of proven elite wingers and a much bigger emptiness in the hearts and minds of Gaudreau’s family, teammates and all those who knew him.

bhedger@dispatch.com

@BrianHedger

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