Calgary remembering Johnny, Matthew Gaudreau on one-year anniversary of tragic deaths

Hockey fans are in mourning Friday, marking the one year anniversary of the deaths of NHL star Johnny Gaudreau and his younger brother, Matthew.

It was Aug. 29, 2024 when the brothers were hit by a suspected drunk driver while riding their bikes in their native New Jersey, the night before their sister Katie’s wedding.

Both Johnny’s wife, Meredith, and Matthew’s wife, Madeline, have since given birth to healthy baby boys.

A hockey legacy

Before his death, Johnny was preparing for this third season with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Affectionately known as “Johnny Hockey,” Johnny Gaudreau starred over parts of nine seasons with the Calgary Flames before joining the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2022.’ His longtime Flames teammate and friend, Sean Monahan, was signed to Columbus just days before Johnny’s death.

This spring, Monahan was given the Bill Masterson Memorial Trophy, which acknowledges perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey, by John’s wife, Meredith.

Gaudreau was a seven-time NHL all-star and a Hobey Baker Award winner as the top men’s player in college hockey, despite being undersized at five-foot-nine and 180 pounds.

One of Gaudreau’s most memorable moments as a Flame came on May 15, 2022, when he scored the Game 7 overtime winner to help Calgary eliminate the Dallas Stars in the first round of the NHL playoffs.

Matthew had his hockey career at Boston College, like his older brother, and was working as a high school hockey coach.

Tributes in Calgary and beyond

In the wake of the pair’s passing, tributes poured in from across the hockey community.

The City of Calgary was especially shook, with Johnny having been part of the community for so many years.

A growing memorial was made outside the Scotiabank Saddledome, where fans left Skittles, Gatorade, flowers, jerseys, hockey sticks, and more.

A candlelight vigil was also held for the brothers outside the Saddledome near the memorial. The vigil was the first day of a 13-day mourning period where fans continued to add to and visit the site.

At the end of the mourning period, the items left at the site were donated to charity.

Pictures of all the elements of the site were taken by Flames personnel, including of chalk drawings, posters, signs, personal letters, and messages. The team gave the photos to the Gaudreau family in a digital memory book from Flames fans.

Hockey sticks left outside the Saddledome were used to make benches that raised money for local charities. Each bench has a plaque that reads “In memory of Johnny & Matthew Gaudreau,” according to the team.

All the Skittles weren’t eaten were counted by the Calgary Flames Foundation, which then made a financial donation to the Calgary Food Bank.

The Gatorade bottles were emptied and donated to the KidSport Calgary recycling program, which turns empties into sport opportunities for local kids in need.

Toys made of cloth and cotton were donated to animal non-profit Parachutes for Pets, a charity supported by Flames captains Mikael Backlund and Mackenzie Weegar.

All 32 NHL teams wore stickers on their helmets to honour the brothers for the first few weeks of the 2024-25 season.

Johnny was honoured at the Flames season home opener on Oct. 13, 2024. Goalie Dustin Wolf also changed his mask backplate to bear an image of Gaudreau in Flames colours, wearing his number ’13,’ and saluting the crowd.

On Dec. 3, the Flames’ 13th home game of the season, the Columbus Blue Jackets were in town. So were the Gaudreau’s.

The family was joined at at centre ice by both teams for a ceremonial puck drop. And, Meredith Gaudreau got her first tattoo — in honour of her husband — at a local Calgary shop.

Accused remains in jail

The accused in the pair’s death, Sean Higgins, remains in custody.

Prosecutors say he had a blood alcohol level of 0.087 at the time of the crash, 0.08 above the legal limit in the state.

New Jersey news outlets report his last appearance in court was on Aug. 21, when the judge denied motions from his defense team to suppress evidence from the 44-year-old’s vehicle.

His pre-trial hearing is set to resume Sept. 18. Higgins has been in custody since the crash, when he was charged with two counts each of reckless vehicular homicide and aggravated manslaughter, along with evidence tampering and leaving the scene of an accident.