Johnny Gaudreau, dynamic NHL star known as ‘Johnny Hockey,’ dies at 31

Gaudreau, who earned the nickname “Johnny Hockey,” was an undersized wonder, at 5-foot-9 and 163 pounds, with high-end skill and elusive speed. He starred for the Calgary Flames for years, rising from being a mid-round draft pick to delight fans at the Saddledome on a nightly basis. In April 2022, he reached 100 points in a season for the first time — with his parents, Guy and Jane, in attendance.

In July of that year, he made the leap to the Columbus Blue Jackets, a small-market team in the middle of a rebuild, as an unrestricted free agent. The decision, he wrote in the Players’ Tribune at the time, was made to be closer to his family. His two children were born in Columbus, where fans Friday were spotted leaving flowers and tributes outside Nationwide Arena.

The Gaudreau brothers suffered fatal injuries after being struck by a vehicle in an incident that occurred around 8:30 p.m. Thursday, according to a statement from the New Jersey State Police. The driver of the vehicle, Sean Higgins, has been charged with two counts of death by auto.

According to the police statement, the Gaudreaus were riding bikes on the right side of the road, ahead of Higgins and two other slower-moving vehicles, a sedan and an SUV. Higgins passed the sedan on the left, according to the statement. When the SUV moved to the middle of the road to pass the bicyclists, Higgins attempted to pass the SUV on the right and struck the bicyclists from behind.

“Through further investigation, Higgins was suspected of being under the influence of alcohol,” the statement noted.

Johnny Gaudreau had 243 goals and 500 assists in his NHL career, scoring at nearly a point-per-game pace as he recorded 743 points in 763 games. He was a finalist for the Calder Trophy in 2014, the league’s rookie of the year award, and won the Lady Byng Trophy, an NHL honor for sportsmanship and good conduct, in 2017. Gaudreau played in seven all-star games.

“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,” the Blue Jackets said in a statement. “He thrilled fans in a way only Johnny Hockey could. The impact he had on our organization and our sport was profound, but pales in comparison to the indelible impression he made on everyone who knew him.”

Gaudreau picked up his “Johnny Hockey” nickname at Boston College, where the forward was an instant standout and won the Hobey Baker Award as the best player in college hockey after a 36-goal, 80-point season — while playing 40 games — as a junior. He turned professional after that, signing with the Flames and scoring a goal in his NHL debut in April 2014.

The Gaudreaus are a hockey family, and on Friday, the hockey community across North America mourned, flooding social media with memories. There was a video of Gaudreau in Calgary, sending the Saddledome into a state of euphoria. There was footage of Gaudreau at Boston College, unstoppable and slick. (“Comically quick feet, hands, and brain,” ESPN’s John Buccigross wrote.) There was a clip of him at a wedding, up on someone’s shoulders, dancing and grinning.

Stories about Matthew, too, made the rounds. A strong player in his own right, Matthew was the reason the brothers played at Boston College, according to Fox Sports. Matthew’s stint in junior hockey, plus the age difference of just over a year, meant the brothers overlapped for only one season with the Eagles — Johnny’s best in a collegiate uniform.

After his own collegiate career concluded, Matthew played five seasons of professional hockey and then followed the family tradition and went into coaching. This year, he became the coach at his alma mater, Gloucester Catholic.

The brothers were set to be groomsmen in their sister’s wedding Friday.

This story has been updated.