The Columbus Blue Jackets continue to mourn the tragic deaths of NHL superstar Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew, who were killed by a suspected drunk driver last week in Salem County, New Jersey.
Blue Jackets president of hockey operations and general manager Don Waddell and select players will hold a press conference today at 1:00 p.m. ET at Nationwide Arena. You can watch the press conference live on CBS News Philadelphia on your streaming devices and in the video player above.
There will be two candlelight vigils tonight in memory of the Gaudreau brothers. In Columbus, the Blue Jackets will hold one outside Nationwide Arena at 7:30 p.m., while the Calgary Flames will hold one outside the Scotiabank Saddledome at 10 p.m. ET.
The Gaudreau brothers were beaten and killed by 43-year-old Sean Higgins of Woodstown, New Jersey, last Thursday night, according to the New Jersey State Police. Police said Higgins was attempting to pass another vehicle when he struck the Gaudreau brothers, who were riding their bicycles on County Route 551 in Oldsmann Township.
On Tuesday, the Gaudreau family a statement released to thank the New Jersey, Philadelphia and hockey communities for their outpouring of support following the brothers’ deaths. Memorials have been erected at the crash site, outside Hollydell Ice Arena in Sewell, New Jersey, Columbus, Ohio and Calgary, among other locations.
“As we begin the journey to bury John and Matty, we are deeply comforted by all of those who have visited these growing memorials and left messages of love, prayers, thoughts of kindness, as well as jerseys, skates, sticks, pucks, flowers, candles and so many other symbols of remembrance,” the Gaudreau family’s statement said. “We are comforted by the memorials on each of your doorsteps, in your yards and on your cars.”
On Tuesday night, Montreal Canadiens winger Cole Caufield said he change his number to number 13 in honor of Johnny Gaudreau, with whom he played on Team USA at the 2024 IIHF World Championships and whom he called his “hero.”
