John and Matthew Gaudreau were paid their last respects by family, friends and countless members of the hockey community at their funeral Monday near Philadelphia.
Buses brought players and others to St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church in Media, Pennsylvania, and dozens of others came to watch the ceremony, including several children wearing the No. 13 jersey worn by the player who was nicknamed “Johnny Hockey.”
His former Columbus Blue Jackets teammate Patrik Laine, Montreal Canadiens player Cole Caufield and National Hockey League (NHL) commissioner Gary Bettman were among the participants.
“It just shows the respect that everybody has for them. I just can’t imagine what they’re going through,” said Caufield, who will now wear No. 13 in honour of John Gaudreau.
The Gaudreau brothers died last week after being struck by a suspected drunk driver while riding their bicycles along the side of a road in their home state of New Jersey.
John, a star player for the Calgary Flames and Blue Jackets, and Matthew, who played alongside his brother at Boston College, passed away on the eve of their sister Katie’s wedding.
They were mourned around the sports world, including in Columbus, Ohio, where Gaudreau signed as an unrestricted free agent in 2022 despite more lucrative offers from other teams.
Blue Jackets fans and players gathered last week for an emotional candlelight vigil, and a similar gathering was held in Calgary.
“The way they carried themselves on campus and the fun they had every day with the guys, it was really fun to be around them,” Boston College associate coach Mike Ayers said. “They were both very, very talented hockey players, but they were great people and made everything around them fun.”
Police said the driver, Sean M. Higgins, 43, was suspected of being under the influence of alcohol and faces charges of homicide, reckless driving and consuming alcohol in a motor vehicle.
He was jailed pending a hearing on September 13.