Tributes for hockey star Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew continued Wednesday with thousands of fans paying their respects at vigils in Ohio and Canada.
The Gaudreau brothers were killed last Thursday night when they were struck by a car while riding their bicycles in their hometown in New Jersey, sending shockwaves through the hockey world just before the start of the season.
It's unclear exactly how many fans attended the vigil outside Nationwide Arena in Columbus, but more than 2,000 candles were distributed by Blue Jackets staff on Wednesday. The Athletic reported..
North of the border, The Athletic's Julian MacKenzie posted a video of the large group of fans gathered outside the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary.
Blue Jackets players fondly remembered Johnny Gaudreau, who joined the team as a 2022 free agent.
“John, I just wanted to say thank you for choosing Columbus over everyone else,” an emotional Zach Werenski said Wednesday night. “You brought so much joy and excitement to this city. I've never seen anything like it. Only a truly special player can do that, and you were that. Over the past two years, I've gotten to know John and his family and I know how much they meant to him. They meant the world to him, especially his wife, Meredith, and his children, Noah and Johnny.
“I often miss John starting the game with a big plate of pasta and a Coke before the match.”
Eric Gudbranson, who played with Johnny Gaudreau in both Columbus and Calgary, said at a memorial in the United States that the team's “hearts are shattered” and also called him a “great friend.”
Gudbranson also recalled a special incident unique to his friendship with Gaudreau over the years.
“There are things I miss a lot,” Gudbranson told The Athletic , “I had a little relationship with John, where I'd pick him up and hold him and not let him go until he told me he loved me. But he didn't say it for a long time. Now that he's on that stage, I know it's because he enjoyed the hug.”
“I just miss him. That's wrong.”
Even far from the vigil, hockey fans were doing all they could to remember the two hockey players.
In Bridgeport, Connecticut, two bouquets of flowers were placed in front of Total Mortgage Arena, home of the AHL's Bridgeport Islanders.
Matthew Gaudreau was a professional athlete and played for the New York Islanders' affiliate team.
Sean Higgins was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving and charged with two counts of causing death by motor vehicle after he hit the two brothers with his car.
Higgins was allegedly attempting to pass two vehicles traveling slowly when he struck the Gaudreau couple, who were on bicycles.
The two were scheduled to be groomsmen at their sister's wedding, just one day before the pair were due to meet.
