Blue Jackets hold press conference after Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau deaths
The Columbus Blue Jackets continue to mourn the tragic deaths of NHL superstar Johnny Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew, who were killed by a suspected drunk driver last week in Salem County, New Jersey.
Blue Jackets president of hockey operations and general manager Don Waddell and select players will hold a press conference today at 1 p.m. ET at Nationwide Arena. You can watch the press conference live on CBS News Philadelphia on your streaming devices and in the video player above.
Two candlelight vigils will be held tonight in remembrance of the Gaudreau brothers. In Columbus, the Blue Jackets will have one outside Nationwide Arena at 7:30 p.m., while the Calgary Flames will have one outside Scotiabank Saddledome at 10 p.m. ET.
The Gaudreau brothers were struck and killed by 43-year-old Sean Higgins of Woodstown, New Jersey, last Thursday night, according to New Jersey State Police. Police said Higgins tried to pass another vehicle when he hit the Gaudreau brothers, who were riding their bikes on County Route 551 in Oldsmann Township.
On Tuesday, the Gaudreau family released a statement thanking the New Jersey, Philadelphia and hockey communities for the outpouring of support after the brothers' deaths. Memorials have sprouted near the crash scene, outside Hollydell Ice Arena in Sewell, New Jersey, Columbus, Ohio and Calgary, among other places.
"As we embark on the journey of laying John and Matty to rest, we are greatly comforted by all those who have visited these growing memorials and who have left messages of love, prayers, thoughts of kindness as well as jerseys, skates, sticks, pucks, flowers, candles and so many other tokens of remembrance," the Gaudreau family statement said. "We are consoled by the memorials on each of your doorsteps, in your yards and on your cars."
On Tuesday night, Montreal Canadiens winger Cole Caufield said he was switching his jersey number to No. 13 to honor Johnny Gaudreau, whom he played with on Team USA at the 2024 IIHF World Championships and called his "hero."
