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Columbus Blue Jackets’ Johnny Gaudreau Dies in New Jersey Accident

Vaseline August 30, 2024

The Blue Jackets suffered another tragedy this summer.

Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew died Thursday night, according to a statement from the team. They were reportedly killed Thursday night while riding their bikes in Oldmans Township, New Jersey, near their hometown of Salem in Salem County, New Jersey.

Gaudreau, 31, was the Blue Jackets’ star forward after signing with the Calgary Flames as an unrestricted free agent in July 2022. He and Matthew Gaudreau were scheduled to be groomsmen at their sister Katie’s wedding on Friday in Philadelphia, according to a public post on a popular wedding site. Gaudreau’s wife, Meredith, is listed as a bridesmaid.

Gaudreau died three years after Blue Jackets goalie Matiss Kivlenieks was killed in a fireworks incident in Novi, Michigan, on July 4, 2021, at the home of Manny Legacy, the team’s former goaltending coach.

Gaudreau and his wife have two young children, daughter Noa and son Johnny, born in Columbus.

After two disappointing seasons, Gaudreau entered this summer with the intention of having a rebound year, fueled by his offseason training. That included playing for the United States in May at the Men’s World Cup in the Czech Republic. Gaudreau impressed with three goals, eight assists and 11 points in eight games to finish third on the team in scoring and tied for fourth place in the tournament.

He also led the Blue Jackets with 12-48-60 in 81 games last season, the second straight year Gaudreau led the team in points, but it was a 14-point drop from his first season in Columbus (2022-23). It was also 55 points lower than Gaudreau’s final season in Calgary, which preceded his surprise decision in July 2022 to sign a seven-year, $68.25 million contract with the Blue Jackets.

The move was criticized around the NHL, particularly in Calgary, but Gaudreau stuck to his primary reason for joining the Blue Jackets. He and Meredith wanted to raise their children in Columbus, closer to their families in New Jersey. Gaudreau was also impressed by the Blue Jackets’ fans, who had shown up in droves the past two years despite a mountain of losses. His goal was to give them more to cheer about, and that challenge got a boost on July 1 when the Blue Jackets signed center Sean Monahan, a close friend and former Flames teammate.

Heading into training camp, new coach Dean Evason appeared to have filled two of his three top-line forward positions with Gaudreau on the left wing and Monahan at center. Now, a week after Patrik Laine was traded to the Montreal Canadiens, there is a large void of proven, elite wingers.

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@BrianHedger