Blue Jackets fans, players remember Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau at a candlelight vigil in Columbus
The crowd stood in silence watching a nearby video screen as a slideshow played of the Gaudreau brothers from childhood.
2 months ago
The remains of Columbus Blue Jackets hockey player John Gaudreau his and his brother Matthew's funeral at St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church in Media, Pa., Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew, were remembered by hundreds during funeral services Monday afternoon at Saint Mary Magdalen Church in Media.
The pair died two weeks ago after being hit by a suspected drunk while riding bikes during a visit to Salem County, New Jersey.
Johnny Gaudreau, who went by the nickname “Johnny Hockey,” played for the Columbus Blue Jackets. Matthew Gaudreau played for the Reading Royals, an affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers in the ECHL.
The brother’s wives spoke with love, dedication and great emotion about their husbands. Madeleine Gaudreau, Matthew’s wife, said he was her safe place, her home and her best friend.
“This last week has felt like I’ve been trapped in a nightmare I can’t wake up from. I feel numb, angry, sad, blessed, all at once,” said Madeleine, who is pregnant with the couple’s first child. “Some days the thought of this new reality is debilitating, but mostly I just miss Matt.”
Madeleine said she felt attached to Matt when they first met 14 years ago because of “his free spirit, his laugh, his wittiness, his love of country music, friends and family was irresistible,” she said. “We instantly became best friends and I knew I was going to spend the rest of my life with him.”
John’s wife, Meredith, who announced during the services that she was nine weeks pregnant with the couple’s third child, wept through her remarks. She said her husband was her soulmate and the best dad in the world.
“In less than three years of marriage we’ve created a family of five, it doesn’t even sound possible, but I look at it as the ultimate blessing, how lucky am I to be the mother of John’s three babies,” she said.
She thanked the Calgary Flames and the Columbus Blue Jackets and said her husband loved both communities. She proudly said their son, baby Johnny, named after his father and who is in the 93rd percentile for weight, has his father’s hands. She said the child was a great source of pride for her husband, who called him “the little unit.”
“John, I promise to have baby Johnny on skates soon, and to be a dedicated hockey mom that drives any distance to all the tournaments,” she said. “All I ever wanted to do was take care of him and make him happy.”
The Columbus Blue Jackets livestreamed their funeral service.
The community has rallied around the Gaudreau family, launching a massive fundraiser for Matthew Gaudreau’s widow Madeline.
Madeleine said she felt honored to be a part of the Gaudreau family, and her husband and his brother shared a truly remarkable bond.
“You did not hear one name without the other, they were so extremely proud of each other, and it brings me comfort knowing they are still together forever as they always were,” she said.
She said through tears, “Matthew is and will always be the best part of me.” At the end of her eulogy, she said, “I urge everyone to not drink and drive, call a ride, please do not put another family through this torture.”
Sean Higgins, 43, is charged in the crash. New Jersey State Police said he struck the Gaudreau brothers from behind while they were cycling in Oldmans Township. Higgins’ pretrial hearing is scheduled for Friday, Sept. 13.