Ice hockey star Johnny Gaudreau and brother Matthew fatally hit by ‘drunk’ driver hours before sister’s wedding

A driver accused of killing an ice hockey star and his brother allegedly made a confession to police after being arrested, as his glassy-eyed mugshot emerges.

Ice hockey star Johnny Gaudreau (pictured with wife and two kids) and his young brother have died after being struck by a car.

Ice hockey star Johnny Gaudreau and his younger brother have tragically died after being struck by an alleged drunk driver just hour before they were set to be groomsmen at their sister’s wedding.

Sean Higgins, 43, was charged with two counts of death by auto in connection with the devastating crash that killed Gaudreau, 31, and his brother, Matthew, 29, Thursday evening.

The brothers were biking near the side of County Route 551 in Oldmans Township, south of Philadelphia, when they were hit around 8pm.

Higgins was traveling north in a Jeep Grand Cherokee behind a sedan and an SUV, the New Jersey State Police said.

He tried to pass the slower-moving cars by changing into the southbound lanes, the authorities said.

The trooper who arrived at the scene detected a “strong odour of alcohol” on his breath, according to the criminal complaint obtained by The NY Post.

Higgins allegedly told the trooper he had “five to six beers” before the fatal crash, according to police documents.

He also supposedly confessed that he believed the SUV was trying to block him from passing, and that his drinking exacerbated his impatience and reckless driving.

Higgins failed a field sobriety test, troopers said, and appeared glassy-eyed in a mugshot.

Sean Wiggins, 43, appeared glassy-eyed in a police mugshot and allegedly told police he had “five to six beers” before fatally striking brothers Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau. Picture: NJ State Police

NHL star Johnny Gaudreau leaves behind his wife Meredith and their two young kids (pictured above). Picture: Instagram

The pair was supposed to serve as groomsmen in their sister Katie’s wedding to hockey player Devin Joyce on Friday.

Katie Gaudreau had posted an excited photo of the wedding rehearsal on her Instagram story on Thursday.

The 1.45pm celebration at St Mary’s Roman Catholic Church in Gloucester City was cancelled in the wake of the tragedy, a church official told TMZ.

Gaudreau leaves behind his wife Meredith, and two children Noa, one, and Johnny, six months.

Gaudreau’s younger brother Matthew (pictured with wife Madeline) was also killed. Picture: Instagram

Gaudreau, whose skills on the ice earned him the nickname “Johnny Hockey,” grew up in Oldmans Township and attended Boston College, where he won the Hobey Baker Award, college hockey’s highest individual honor.

Gaudreau was drafted by the Calgary Flames in 2014, and was later a finalist for the Calder Trophy.

He stunned the hockey community when, in 2022, he left Calgary and turned down competitive offers from the New Jersey Devils and New York Islanders in favor of a seven-year, $68.25 million contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

He appeared in the All-Star game seven times over the course of his career.

Last season, he appeared in 81 games and tallied 48 points for the Blue Jackets.

“The Columbus Blue Jackets are shocked and devastated by this unimaginable tragedy,” the team said in a statement.

“Johnny played the game with great joy which was felt by everyone that saw him on the ice,” the Blue Jackets said in the statement.

“He brought a genuine love for hockey with him everywhere he played from Boston College to the Calgary Flames to Team USA to the Blue Jackets. He thrilled fans in a way only Johnny Hockey could. The impact he had on our organization and our sport was profound, but pales in comparison to the indelible impression he made on everyone who knew him.”

In a tragic twist, the brothers were set to be groomsmen at their sister Katie’s wedding on Saturday (L-R Matthew, Katie, Johnny) Picture: Instagram

The pair were riding bikes in their hometown of Oldsman Township when they were fatally struck just before 8pm.

Gaudreau was a humble but supremely talented ice hockey player.

“My focus was never squarely on making it to the NHL,” he wrote in a 2016 Players Tribune essay.

“I always just tried to advance to the next level, one rung at a time. It’s important to take it slow, because if you immediately try to compare your game to the guys playing in the league, you’re going to get down on yourself pretty quick.

“I’ll never forget my first development camp with the Flames. I was just a college kid in every sense. And I saw these NHL players out there on the ice, and all I could think was, “What am I doing here?” I was so wide-eyed, I almost wanted to ask for autographs.

“Then the next development camp a year later, my attitude shifted to, ‘I think I know what I’m doing here.’ Until finally I got to the point where I was on the ice with NHL players and felt okay telling myself, “I know what I’m doing here.”

The brothers were both talented ice hockey players. Johnny (left) played for the Blue Jackets and Calgary Flames across 11 seasons in the NHL while Matthew (right) last played pro hockey in 2021 in Sweden.

Like his brother, Matthew played hockey at Boston College before he signed with the New York Islanders’ minor league affiliate in 2017.

He last played professional hockey in 2021, playing in Sweden and the ECHL in the US.

The Blue Jackets suffered another tragedy in 2021 when goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks, 24, died of chest trauma from being struck by an errant fireworks mortar during a party at a private Michigan home. Kivlenieks was in a hot tub and tried to escape the oncoming firework, which had tilted slightly and fired toward a group of people.

- With The NY Post

Originally published as Ice hockey star Johnny Gaudreau and brother Matthew fatally hit by ‘drunk’ driver hours before sister’s wedding