Columbus Blue Jackets statement on the passing of Johnny Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew. pic.twitter.com/V2aFykgKIs
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) August 30, 2024
Brothers Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Gaudreau have tragically passed away.
Johnny was 31 and Matthew was 29. pic.twitter.com/FUrwqxrYTs
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) August 30, 2024
Johnny Gaudreau was just 31-years-old. His younger brother Matthew was 29. Anytime anyone that young has their life tragically cut short is heartbreaking. It doesn’t matter if they’re a professional athlete, celebrity, public figure, or anything. There was so much more life ahead for both of these men, and there was supposed to be so much more time for the ones in their life to be able to enjoy their presence.
But what makes deaths like these so soul shattering is the fact that it feels like everybody knew them. All you had to do was watch Johnny Gaudreau play hockey one time, and you immediately felt like you knew him your entire life. He played with an infectious smile that was stapled to his face every time he touched the ice. Sure, his skill was exciting and entertaining to watch. But it was that smile that made him such a special player to root for. Because you knew that at his core, Johnny Gaudreau was a kid who just loved playing the game of hockey. The same exact way everybody else who ever wore a pair of skates felt when we were kids ourselves.
While the majority of us were fortunate enough to at least be able to enjoy that personality he showed on the ice, the loved ones around him got to experience it off the ice. They got to experience that personality as a husband, as a father, as a son, as a brother, as a friend, and as a teammate. And that’s where it’s impossible to put into words just how devastating this loss truly is. Two beautiful children just lost their father and uncle on the same night. The Gaudreau family was planning on having an incredible weekend with everybody in town for their sister’s wedding today. I can’t even begin to imagine the amount of pain and shock that family is dealing with right now, but all I know is that they are going to need the love and support from the entire hockey community for quite some time.
None of it makes sense right now, and I doubt it ever fully will. It makes you feel numb with an overwhelming weight of sadness for everybody involved. This one hurts like crazy and it’s going to take some time for everybody to grieve. But fortunately/unfortunately, the hockey world has shown quite a few times before that tragedies like this always bring everybody together to give as much support and strength as possible to those who need it the most. I’m sure there are going to be plenty of ways to help out the Gaudreau family throughout the next few days, but right now the most important thing is to give them their space and privacy.
Rest in Peace, John and Matthew Gaudreau, and thank you so much for letting us all be a tiny part of your lives.
Sidenote: We still don’t know for certain if the driver involved in this accident was drunk or not. But if they were, drunk driving needs to carry a life sentence. Just the most reprehensibly selfish piece of shit move that anybody could make to get behind the wheel of a car when they’re not in any shape to drive.
