Columbus Blue Jackets forward Johnny Gaudreau was killed by a suspected drunken driver near his hometown in New Jersey.
He and his brother Matthew Gaudreau were killed while they were biking on Thursday night in Oldmans Township.
The pair were supposed to be groomsmen in their sister’s wedding Friday, The Columbus Dispatch reported.
New Jersey State Police said a suspected drunken driver crashed into the pair. The driver was identified as Sean Higgins, 43, from Woodstown, New Jersey. Troopers said he was driving north in a Jeep Grand Cherokee. He had been behind a sedan and SUV when he tried to pass the slower-moving vehicles by going into the southbound lanes. When he tried to get back into the northbound lane, the SUV had moved over to avoid the Gaudreau brothers. Troopers said that Higgins then tried to pass the SUV on the right, hitting the two brothers from behind, WPVI reported.
Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau died from their injuries. Higgins has been charged with two counts of death by auto and is being held at the Salem County Correctional Facility, according to WPVI.
The Blue Jackets posted a tribute to the player who had been dubbed “Johnny Hockey,” calling his death “this unimaginable tragedy,” The Washington Post reported.
“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.”
Johnny Gaudreau was drafted by the Flames in 2011 and was popular because of what the Post called his “scoring prowess and flashy offensive style that belied his diminutive size.”
“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,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement, according to the Post.
Johnny Gaudreau leaves behind a wife and two small children, the Dispatch reported.