Philadelphia Flyers honor Gaudreau brothers before preseason game vs. New York Islanders
The Philadelphia Flyers had a tribute for Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau before the team's preseason game against the New York Islanders at the Wells Fargo Center on Thursday night.
The Flyers played a video of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau before the puck dropped and held a 13-second moment of silence, which was the number Johnny wore.
"Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau were deeply rooted in the Philadelphia and New Jersey community, where they spent their entire childhood on the ice playing for Gloucester Catholic High School, Team Comcast and the Philadelphia Little Flyers," Flyers public address announcer Lou Nolan said during the tribute. "Our prayers and deepest sympathies go out to the entire Gaudreau family during the unimaginably difficult time. Johnny and Matthew were and always will be beloved and cherished members of the Flyers community and the entire hockey world."
Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau were killed in a crash by a suspected drunken driver while riding bicycles in Salem County, New Jersey, in late August.
Police said the driver, 43-year-old Sean Higgins of Woodstown, New Jersey, attempted to pass a slower vehicle when he hit the Gaudreau brothers, who were riding along the right side of the road.
Higgins was charged with two counts of death by auto following the crash. He was later ordered to remain in jail by a judge before a potential trial.
The deaths of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau shocked the sports world and hockey community in the Philadelphia region.
A South Jersey native known as "Johnny Hockey" who grew up a fan of the Philadelphia Flyers, Johnny Gaudreau played for the Little Flyers, a youth hockey organization based in Aston, Pennsylvania, starting at the PeeWee level in 2004 and continuing into the 2008-09 season. Matthew Gaudreau played for the Little Flyers in 2007-08 and 08-09.
Both brothers played for Boston College, and Johnny won the Heisman Trophy of college hockey, the Hobey Baker Award, in 2014. Johnny also contributed to BC's NCAA championship win in 2012.
Both Johnny and Matthew went to Gloucester Catholic High School in Gloucester City, New Jersey, and both played hockey there. Matthew served as coach of the Gloucester Catholic hockey team after a five-year pro career. The brothers were laid to rest at a funeral in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, in September.
The Flyers recently had Johnny and Matthew's father, Guy Gaudreau, help out the team's practice.
"He was hesitant at first, and we kind of let him go at his timetable," Flyers coach John Tortorella said earlier this week. "I think it worked out really well today. I gave him my camp book. We're going to check in next week and see if we can get him out here a couple more times and have him be part of it. I don't want it to be, 'Just come out here.' I want him to be part of it. I think it will be therapeutic for him to be around us and run some drills."