Matthew Gaudreau was preparing to welcome a baby when he and his brother, Columbus Blue Jackets star Johnny Gaudreau, were struck and killed while biking near their hometown on Thursday, August 29.
Matthew’s wife, Madeline Gaudreau, is expecting a baby due on December 31, according to an online registry in the couple’s name. Matthew and Madeline tied the knot in July 2021.
Although Matthew hadn’t posted on Instagram since June 2022, he often shared glimpses of his and Madeline’s love story.
“Didn’t think she would say yes!” he captioned a July 2019 photo of himself down on one knee proposing to Madeline.
In February 2017, he captioned a sweet snap of the pair, “Happy 4 years to this beautiful woman, I wouldn’t be the man i am today without you. I love you always.”
Matthew, who was 29, and Johnny, who was 31, were killed by a suspected drunk driver Thursday evening while biking in Oldman Township, New Jersey, according to the Columbus Dispatch.
The brothers were scheduled to be groomsmen at their sister Katie’s wedding in Philadelphia on Friday, August 30. Katie shared a photo of the wedding rehearsal via her Instagram Story hours before the tragic incident. The nuptials have since been canceled, Page Six reported on Friday.
The Gaudreau family reacted to Johnny and Matthew’s deaths via a statement from the brothers’ Uncle Jim.
“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 human beings,” the statement shared via X by Boston reporter Dan Roche reads. “We want to let everyone know we are receiving your messages of love and support and we appreciate your continued thoughts and prayers.”
Johnny is survived by his wife, Meredith, whom he wed in 2021, and their two children: daughter Noa, who turns 2 in February, and son Johnny, who was born in February.
Johnny spent the first nine seasons of his professional hockey career with the Calgary Flames before signing as an unrestricted free agent with the Blue Jackets in 2022. The NHL team shared a tribute to Johnny via X on Friday.
“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 father, son, brother and friend,” the statement read. “We extend our heartfelt sympathies to his wife, Meredith, his children Noa and Johnny, his parents, their family and friends on the sudden death of Johnny and Matthew.”
The man suspected of hitting Matthew and Johnny, 43-year-old Sean M. Higgins, was taken into custody Thursday evening and charged with two counts of vehicular homicide. Higgins is suspected of being drunk when he swerved and hit the Gaudreau brothers as they rode bicycles shortly after 8 p.m. ET.
The New Jersey State Police told Us that Higgins was traveling behind two vehicles when he “attempted to pass the slower-moving sedan and SUV, entered the southbound lanes of travel, passed the slower-moving sedan, and attempted to re-enter the northbound lanes of travel when the SUV in front of Higgins moved to the middle of the roadway, splitting the north and south lanes to safely pass the two pedalcyclist traveling north on the right side of the roadway.”
When Higgins attempted to pass the SUV on the right, he struck both Johnny and Matthew “in the rear,” causing “fatal injuries.”