Calgary Flames release stunning photo of Johnny Gaudreau memorial – after thousands of fans wrote messages in chalk outside arena

Thousands of fans have written tributes to the late NHL veteran Johnny Gaudreau at the home of his former team, the Calgary Flames, after he tragically died in a bicycle accident last week.

Gaudreau, 31, who previously played nine seasons for Calgary, and his younger brother Matthew, 29, died last Thursday after being struck by a vehicle while cycling in New Jersey the night before their sister Katie’s wedding.

The driver, 43-year-old Sean M. Higgins of Woodstown, has been charged with two counts of motor vehicle manslaughter, without bail or bond, for allegedly being under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash.

Johnny was set to enter his third season with the Columbus Blue Jackets later this year, while Matthew was a professional hockey player in the ECHL. Both were set to be groomsmen at Katie’s wedding, which was subsequently canceled.

The tragedy prompted grieving fans to flock to the Scotiabank Saddledome to pay their respects to the former Flames forward and his brother. Calgary shared a stunning photo of thousands of chalk messages and tributes outside their arena.

The NHL team captioned the photo: “Speechless.”

Gaudreau played the first nine of his 11 NHL seasons with the Flames, during which time he became one of the best players in the game and a fan favorite across North America.

At 5-foot-10 and 180 pounds, the winger was part of a generation of hockey players who thrived in an era of speed and skill when being small was less of a disadvantage. He scored 20-plus goals six times and was a 115-point player in 2021-22, the first NHL All-Star to be named when he had a personal best of 40 goals and 75 assists.

Gaudreau helped Boston College win the NCAA championship in 2012 and won the Hobey Baker Award as the nation’s best college player in 2014. He was a fourth-round pick by Calgary in 2011.

As a professional, he was named to the NHL all-rookie team during his first season in the league and was third in voting for the Calder Trophy for rookie of the year in 2014–15.

Brother Matthew never made it to the NHL, but most recently played for the Worcester Railers in the 2021-22 season. He also spent a season with the Reading Royals.

And to add to the tragedy, it has also been revealed that his wife Madeline is currently expecting their first child.

A GoFundMe page set up to support Madeline during her pregnancy following the death of her husband has raised more than $536,000 at the time of writing.

Johnny is survived by his wife Meredith and their two children: one-year-old daughter Noa and six-month-old son Johnny.

Meredith, who was also set to be a bridesmaid at her sister-in-law Katie’s wedding, broke her silence on Saturday following the devastating loss of her husband and brother-in-law.

Along with a selection of photos of the couple and their two children, she wrote: ‘The absolute best dad in the world. So caring and loving.

“The best partner to get through parenthood with. John never missed an appointment. Was the best at putting the baby to sleep and the Apple of Noa’s eye. I love how much she looks like him.

“We’re going to make you proud. We love you so much, Daddy.”

Katie also spoke out after the loss of her two brothers, writing, “To know these two was to love these two. There are absolutely no words I have to express the bond our family shared.

‘The whole world knows that there would have been no John without Matty, and no Matty without John.

‘The very best big brothers a little girl could ever ask for. This will never be a goodbye message, because I will never stop saying your names and honoring you both.

“I’ll take good care of Mom, Dad, Kristen, Mer, Madeline and your babies.”

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

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, was driving two cars behind the Gaudreau brothers north on County Road 551 when he turned 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 veered into the center of the road to safely pass Johnny and Matthew.

He then returned to the northbound lane, running over and killing them both.

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.