Johnny Gaudreau’s wife Meredith pays tribute to brother-in-law Matthew after brothers’ tragic deaths in DUI crash

The wife of late NHL star Johnny Gaudreau has paid tribute to her brother-in-law Matthew following the siblings’ tragic deaths this week.

Gaudreau, 31, and his younger brother Matthew, 29, were killed Thursday night in a bicycle crash in New Jersey after they were struck by a driver believed to be under the influence of alcohol.

The couple died on the eve of their sister Katie’s wedding, where they were both due to be groomsmen on Friday. The wedding was subsequently cancelled in the wake of the tragedy.

Johnny’s wife Meredith, who was also scheduled to be a bridesmaid on the day, paid tribute to her husband’s brother in a touching, yet heartbreaking, post on Instagram, paying tribute to their brotherly bond.

“John and Matty. You don’t hear one name without the other. Always next to each other. Even in large groups you can find them hip to hip,” the mother of two wrote in a series of family photos.

‘John’s younger brother – but he looked up to Matty and relied on him for everything. And Matty was always there.

‘Absolute best friends and biggest fans of each other, despite their polar opposite personalities. Everyone wanted to be with them, including me. I sat back and watched as John genuinely enjoyed his time with his brother.

“Matty, thank you for loving our babies like they were your own and for being such an amazing uncle and godfather. I can’t wait to return the favor when I become Tripp’s aunt. I don’t think John could live a day without you, so I take comfort in knowing that you are of course together in heaven. Please continue to care for John as you always have. I have Madeline and Tripp. We love you very much.”

Meredith and Johnny tied the knot in September 2021, a year after the hockey player proposed.

In October 2022, they welcomed their first child, daughter Noa, after which their son Johnny was born in February of this year.

Meanwhile, Johnny’s brother Matthew leaves behind his wife Madeline, just over three years after their wedding.

To add to the tragedy, it has been revealed that Madeline is currently five months pregnant with the couple’s first child, a baby boy, Tripp, due in December.

A fundraising campaign titled ‘Support Madeline and Baby Tripp after the tragedy‘ was organized by Holland Korbitz on Friday with a goal of $30,000. By Saturday, the goal of $300,000 had been reached.

Meredith broke her silence on Saturday about her late husband’s death, calling Johnny “the best dad in the world.”

She shared a selection of photos of the couple and their two children: one-year-old daughter Noa and six-month-old son Johnny.

Johnny, an NHL veteran about to begin his third season with the Columbus Blue Jackets, and Matthew, a professional hockey player in the ECHL, were struck and killed by another vehicle driven by Sean M. Higgins, 43, of Woodstown, New Jersey. He was reportedly under the influence of alcohol at the time of the accident.

The accident happened less than three miles from the Gaudreau family home, just hours before Katie was to marry her partner Devin Joyce.

Higgins, a decorated U.S. Army officer and father of two, has been charged with two counts of vehicular manslaughter, without bail or bond.

He was driving two cars behind the Gaudreau brothers north on County Road 551 when he swerved into the southbound lane to pass the vehicles ahead of him. He passed one with ease and was about to pass the second—an SUV—when its driver swerved into the center of the road to safely pass Johnny and Matthew.

Higgins then drove back into the northbound lane, running over and killing them both.

In documents seen by DailyMail.com, He admitted to police that he had consumed “5-6 beers” before getting behind the wheel of his Jeep Grand Cherokee and crashing into the back of the Gaudreau brothers.

On Friday, police released a photo of him with glazed eyes after he was arrested and charged.

Higgins made his first appearance before a judge in Salem County Superior Court via video link on Friday, where he appeared to sigh in shameful frustration after being ordered to remain in custody until next Thursday.

After Judge Michael J. Silvanio told him he would have to remain in jail for six more days, he could be heard asking in disbelief, “So… I’m here until Thursday?”

Silvanio then explained that the usual 72-hour detention period had been extended because of the long weekend. Higgins leaned back in his chair and let out a deep sigh, despite the fact that he is charged with two counts of second-degree manslaughter in a traffic accident.

He appeared on video link wearing a dark green vest with Velcro on the shoulders and a bandage on his wrist. He appeared expressionless as the judge told how the accident cost the lives of the Gaudreau brothers.

Pittsburgh Penguins star Kevin Hayes paid a moving tribute to his late college hockey teammate Gaudreau, three years after the tragic loss of his own brother, former NHL player Jimmy Hayes.

Kevin posted a photo of Gaudreau high-fiving Hayes’ nephew, Beau, on his Instagram Story.

Beau’s father is Jimmy, who passed away in August 2021, the day after his son’s second birthday.

“I love you John!” Hayes said on Instagram. “Say hi to Beau’s dad for me.”

Gaudreau and Hayes were teammates at Boston College, but the two NHL veterans never played on the same professional team.