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Columbus Blue Jackets’ Johnny Gaudreau Honored at Nationwide Arena

Vaseline August 31, 2024

As an avid cyclist, David Sanchez knows the risk of injury or even death while cycling.

The 66-year-old Sacramento, California, resident and his wife ride their bikes more than 110 miles a week, often with groups of 20 to 25 cyclists who want to challenge their bodies and minds. Sanchez has seen people get hurt while riding, he said, but he has never seen them die.

But on Friday night, Sanchez — who was in Columbus for the Ohio State football game on Saturday — went to Nationwide Arena to pay his respects to a beloved Blue Jackets hockey player who was killed while riding his bike.

Columbus Blue Jackets star forward Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew were killed Thursday night when they were struck by a suspected drunk driver while riding their bicycles in Oldmans Township, New Jersey, near their home in Salem County.

Sean Higgins, 43, of Woodstown, New Jersey, who is accused of driving under the influence after New Jersey State Police say he admitted to drinking “five or six beers” and failing a field sobriety test, has been charged with two counts of vehicular homicide. He also faces numerous traffic violations, including making an unsafe lane change and having an open alcoholic beverage in a vehicle.

“From a cyclist’s perspective, it breaks my heart,” Sanchez said of the dead. He was among about 60 people who gathered at the arena to pay tribute to Johnny Gaudreau, who captured the hearts of Blue Jackets fans during his time with the NHL team. Mourners came in a steady stream, leaving flowers and heartfelt messages written on cardboard and in colorful chalk on the ground outside the stadium doors, where a jersey and several hockey sticks were left at a makeshift memorial.

Gaudreau, nicknamed “Johnny Hockey” for his prowess on the ice, is survived by his wife Meredith and two young children, daughter Noa and son Johnny, both born in Columbus. Matthew Gaudreau is survived by his wife Madeline. Both brothers are survived by their parents Jane and Gus Gaudreau and their sisters Kristen and Katie. The brothers were to be groomsmen at Katie’s wedding Friday in Philadelphia.

Greg Gleason, 66, who is from New York but now lives in Columbus, told The Dispatch Friday night that he happened to be driving from central New Jersey when he got the news of Gaudreau’s death. He initially thought it was a social media joke until the Blue Jackets confirmed Gaudreau’s death Friday morning.

“I’m sorry, I have no words,” Gleason said as he gazed at the flowers, cards and messages left in Gaudreau’s honor. He lives near the arena and felt it would be better to have fans around him who were also mourning his death.

Joey McKean, 21, of Columbus, said he’s a “die hard” Blue Jackets fan, going so far as to say it’s one of the three most important things in his life. And that was especially true for Gaudreau.

“I have so much admiration for John Gaudreau,” McKean said, emphasizing that even with Gaudreau’s size, he had made a name for himself as one of the most dominant players on the team. McKean also said people can draw inspiration from Gaudreau’s life for that reason — being at a disadvantage doesn’t mean you have to discount yourself.

“John Gaudreau is irreplaceable,” McKean said.

Max Motz, 20, made the nearly two-hour drive from Akron to the vigil. Motz was wearing the jersey of another CBJ player, Matiss Kivlenieks, who died in a fireworks accident in 2022. He said Gaudreau’s death felt like déjà vu.

“It feels like it’s all happening again,” Motz said.

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@ShahidMeighan