Columbus Blue Jackets star Johnny Gaudreau's funeral set for Monday
A funeral for Blue Jackets star forward Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew has been scheduled for 12 p.m. Monday, the team confirmed Thursday.
A livestream of the service will be available through the Blue Jackets website.
"The family remains grateful for the expressions of love and support they have received and ask for continued respect and privacy at this time," the Blue Jackets' statement reads.
Fox 29 in Philadelphia states that Gaudreau's funeral service will be held at St. Magdalen Catholic Church in Media, Pennsylvania.
A letter from Rev. Eric J. Banecker to the parish shared that the school associated with the church would be closed Monday due to "an extraordinarily large funeral for two young men, one of whom is a hockey player."
PSA - the funeral of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau will be at St. Mary Magdalen’s on Monday, the 9th, in Media. That area is going to be very, very busy & suggest staying away from that area unless you like traffic. Hearts break for this family. Thoughts and prayers to them all. pic.twitter.com/QLKmpRDD8V
— Delco Roots (@RootsDelco) September 5, 2024
Johnny, 31, and Matthew, 29, were killed Aug. 29 in South Jersey as they biked together along a road in Oldmans Township in Salem County. Police say the driver who struck them, 43-year-old Sean Higgins, told them he had five or six beers before getting behind the wheel, and Higgins has been charged with two counts of homicide by vehicle.
In a press conference Wednesday, Blue Jackets president of hockey operations and general manager Don Waddell confirmed that the team would be present for Gaudreau's funeral.
“In talking with people in the organization, including the guys here with me today, it’s apparent just how special of a person Johnny was, and how significant his loss is being felt by everyone,” Waddell said. “Where there’s a huge hole in our lineup, there’s even a larger one in our hearts.”
Meredith Gaudreau, Johnny's wife, posted multiple statements on Instagram remembering her husband.
"Thank you for the best years of my life," Meredith Gaudreau wrote. "Despite losing you, I am still the luckiest girl in the world to have been yours. I love you so so much. You were perfect. Some days it felt too good to be true. I love every single thing about you. You are my forever and I can't wait to be with you again. I love you so much forever and ever."
Contributions in both John and Matthew’s memory may be made to the John & Matthew Gaudreau Foundation c/o Lewis Gross, Sports Management 560 Sylvan, Suite 3070, Englewood Cliffs, N.J. 07632.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Blue Jackets' star Johnny Gaudreau's funeral to be September 9
