A makeshift memorial for NHL hockey player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew, in Oldmans Township , N.J., on Sept. 5.Matt Rourke/The Associated Press
The funeral for Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau has been scheduled for Monday at a church in suburban Philadelphia while the driver charged with killing them remains in jail awaiting his next court appearance.
The memorial service for the Gaudreau brothers is set to take place at St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church in Media, Pa. The NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets, for whom Johnny Gaudreau played and was known around the sport as “Johnny Hockey,” said the team will stream the service on their website.
The Gaudreau brothers died last week when they were struck and killed by a suspected drunken driver while riding their bicycles in their home state of New Jersey on the eve of their sister Katie’s wedding. Sean M. Higgins appeared virtually at his first pretrial hearing Thursday. The judge postponed the hearing to Sept. 13 to allow lawyers more time to prepare.
Johnny Gaudreau’s Blue Jackets teammates pay tribute to ‘one of a kind’ player
Higgins, 43, is being held at a Salem County jail. He is charged with two counts of death by auto, along with reckless driving, possession of an open container and consuming alcohol in a motor vehicle.
Lawyers Matthew Portella and Richard Klineburger III said Higgins had hired them to represent him.
“This is a tragedy involving a great deal of emotion and impacting many individuals,” they said in a statement. “It is too early in the stages of the legal process to make any out of court statements.”
Countless members of the hockey community from Columbus to South Jersey to Boston College, where the Gaudreaus played, are expected to join family and friends for the funeral. Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell said the entire team would be there, and NHL commissioner Gary Bettman is also planning to be in attendance.
Rev. Eric J. Banecker in a letter to parents said school at St. Mary Magdalen would be closed Monday because of the service.
“This will be an extraordinarily large funeral for two young men, one of whom was a professional hockey player,” Banecker wrote in the letter that was posted on social media. “The fact is we cannot ensure a safe school day and dismissal given the expected crowd. I ask you to consider this inconvenience a small sacrifice that will help ease the pain just a bit of John and Matthew’s parents, wives, children, siblings, relatives and friends.”
Fans attend a vigil for former Calgary Flames player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew in Calgary on Sept. 4.Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press
Fans and current and former players paid tribute to Johnny and Matthew in candlelight vigils in Columbus and Calgary on Wednesday night. There was a silent remembrance of 13 minutes 21 seconds outside the Blue Jackets’ downtown arena while a slideshow played of photos showing the siblings from childhood, through their teenage years and into college hockey, the pros, marriages, baptisms and lives filled with joy and love.
The mood was mostly sombre in Calgary outside the Saddledome as the crowd grew from hundreds to thousands leading up to the program paying respect to the two brothers.
Couples embraced, families held hands and fans of all ages wiped back tears in front of the giant memorial that covers the 31 steps leading up to the arena entrance and has spilled over to the grassy hill beside it.
When Flames players, their families and other organizational staff came out onto the stairs wearing No. 13 Gaudreau jerseys, chants of “Johnny, Johnny” broke out from the crowd.
And the emotions lightened as a lineup of speakers shared fond memories of Gaudreau.
“My relationship with Johnny went far beyond this arena. We had a bond that extended to his family, which I will cherish forever,” said Flames general manager Craig Conroy.
“Following his death, it took a couple days for me to compose myself before I could attempt to show my love for Johnny and the Gaudreau family. I believe the best way I can do that tonight is to share some stories from the beginning, before he became Johnny Hockey for the Calgary Flames.”
Conroy told stories about meeting the humble Gaudreau well before he displayed his show-stopping skills at the Saddledome, while Flames captain Mikael Backlund shared memories on behalf of the players.
“Johnny always had a smile on his face, on and off the ice. I’m going to miss that smile. I’m going to miss Johnny chirping me about everything like he always loved to do,” a teary-eyed Backlund said.
Lewis Gross, the brothers’ long-time agent, said Thursday it had taken him some time to write about what the 15 years representing them meant to him, including becoming part of the extended Gaudreau family.
“I never thought the bad would come as it has,” Gross wrote on social media. “The hockey might be over, but my commitment to John and Matt will last throughout my life. These boys taught me so much. They taught me what family really means.”
Death notices published Thursday directed contributions to the John & Matthew Gaudreau Foundation, care of Gross at Sports Professional Management in Englewood Cliffs, N.J.
USA Hockey executive director Pat Kelleher opened remarks about the 2024 class of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame with continued thoughts and prayers for the Gaudreau family. Kevin Stevens, one of the inductees, played at Boston College three decades before Johnny and Matthew.
“The last week has been awful,” Stevens said. “It’s just gut-wrenching. It’s unimaginable – something that you never want to have to try to deal with. We all come together and try to do the best we can to make this go by somehow.”
With a report from The Canadian Press