NHL 'shocked and saddened' by tragic death of Columbus Blue Jackets star Johnny Gaudreau

The NHL is "shocked and saddened" by the tragic death of Blue Jackets star Johnny Gaudreau, per a statement from league commissioner Gary Bettman.

According to the Blue Jackets, Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew, were killed in Oldmans Township New Jersey. There are reports they were killed while biking Thursday night in Oldmans Township, New Jersey, close to their hometown in Salem County, New Jersey.

“The National Hockey League family is shocked and saddened by the tragic passing of Columbus Blue Jackets forward Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew," Bettman said in a statement. "While Johnny’s infectious spirit for the game and show-stopping skills on the ice earned him the nickname ‘Johnny Hockey,’ he was more than just a dazzling hockey player; he was a doting father and beloved husband, son, brother and teammate who endeared himself to every person fortunate enough to have crossed his path.

"Gaudreau often told the story of how his father taught him to skate as a child in his home state of New Jersey and he carried that same youthful passion throughout his 11 NHL seasons. A skilled playmaker, Gaudreau participated in the NHL All-Star Game seven times where he was always a fan favorite, particularly while showcasing his talents in the various skills competitions for which he was so well suited.

“He will be remembered fondly in Calgary, where he played his first nine seasons with the Flames from 2013-14 to 2021-22, emerging as one of our League’s brightest young stars while compiling the franchise’s fifth-highest career points total. His loss also will be felt profoundly in Columbus, the city in which he chose to settle his family and where he was one of the respected, veteran leaders of a club building toward the playoffs. And both Johnny and Matthew will be mourned at Boston College, where they were teammates the year Johnny won the Hobey Baker Award in 2013-14, and at Gloucester Catholic High School in New Jersey, where both played and where Matthew was the head hockey coach following his own five-year pro playing career.

“We send our most heart-felt condolences to his wife Meredith; their children, Noa and Johnny; his parents, Guy and Jane; and sisters Kristen and Katie. And we grieve alongside his teammates, members of the Blue Jackets and Flames organizations, his many friends in hockey and countless fans around the world for whom he created indelible memories on and off the ice.”

Gaudreau spent nine seasons with the Calgary Flames where he was a two-time All-Star starter in the 2014-15 and 2021-22 seasons. Gaudreau had 210 goals and 399 assists during his Flames career, including a career high in both goals (40) and assists (75) in a 2021-22 season where he led the NHL in plus/minus (+64).

On July 13, 2022, Gaudreau signed a seven-year, $68.25 million deal with the Blue Jackets as an unrestricted free agent. According to reports, he chose the Blue Jackets after receiving an eight-year contract at $10.5 million per season to remain with the Flames.

In two seasons with the Blue Jackets, Gaudreau had 33 goals and 101 assists in 161 games.

He won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy in 2016-17, which is given to the NHL player who "exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability."

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: NHL statement on Johnny Gaudreau death by commissioner Gary Bettman