Remembering Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau.
The NHL star and his brother died on Thursday in a suspected drunk-driving accident.
To watch Johnny Gaudreau on the ice, it was to see the result of hockey’s continued evolution over the past twenty years, almost in real-time: he didn’t rely on pure size or overwhelming strength, bullying his opponents into submission.
Instead, he would often bend them to his will, a skill-first dynamo like few others - where, despite his smaller stature, he charted his own path and over ten full seasons, became one of hockey’s most electric players.
As reported by the Associated Press and later confirmed by the NHL, Gaudreau, 31, and his younger brother Matthew, 29, were killed in New Jersey on Thursday, after being struck by a suspected drunk driver while riding bicycles near their family home.
Both were pronounced dead at the scene. The brothers were set to attend their sister’s wedding in Philadelphia that was scheduled for the following day.
Through the NHL, Commissioner Gary Bettman released the following statement, reading in part:
The National Hockey League family is shocked and saddened by the tragic passing of Columbus Blue Jackets forward Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew. While Johnny’s infectious spirit for the game and show-stopping skills on the ice earned him the nickname ‘Johnny Hockey,’ he was more than just a dazzling hockey player; he was a doting father and beloved husband, son, brother and teammate who endeared himself to every person fortunate enough to have crossed his path
Teammates together at Boston College, where Johnny would win the Hobey Baker in 2014 as the top player in college hockey, both brothers would go on to play professionally.
Matthew played in both the ECHL and AHL for a number of seasons, before, per CBS, he began transitioning into coaching.
Johnny, drafted by the Calgary Flames in 2011, would make his NHL debut during the final game of the 2013/2014 season before immediately establishing himself as one of the sport’s most exciting young players the following year.
Leading all rookies with 40 assists, he was named to the All-Rookie Team, exhibiting a unique blend of speed, raw playmaking ability and situational IQ.
He would ultimately play parts of nine seasons in Calgary, slowly maturing into one of the top offensive players in the NHL.
His career-best season in 2021/2022, showcasing a player who had fully developed his game, an approach combining the very best of his immense talent: he scored 40 goals, had 75 assists and tied for second in League scoring, with 115 points. He was an end-of-season All-Star and finished fourth in Hart Trophy voting as NHL MVP.
Known as well for his clean style of play, Gaudreau collected no more than twenty-six penalty minutes in any season of his career, winning the Lady Byng in 2016/2017, as awarded for gentlemanly conduct.
He signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets as a free agent in 2022 and although his statistical output dropped significantly over the past two seasons, he was widely considered to be a leader on a not-quite-there Jackets team.
Yet another evolution for a player who made defying expectations his career M.O.
Energetic and terrifically talented, Gaudreau was a player who came to fully embody the modern, skill-first NHL, the benchmark for which so many others would be measured against.
Johnny Gaudreau is survived by his wife and their two children. Matthew, by his wife.