The mom of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau expressed her gratitude for the emotional tributes honoring her late sons within the aftermath of their tragic deaths.
“Thanks to the Columbus Blue Jackets group, the gamers, their households, and the complete metropolis of Columbus,” Jane Gaudreau shared through X on Sunday, October 20. “The love and assist you’ve proven for John, Matty, and our household have helped us by way of probably the most troublesome time of our lives.”
She added, “This previous week, you made our boys really feel actually particular. It was so transferring to witness the outpouring of affection for John and the complete Gaudreau household. I want you all may have recognized Matty — he was a lot like John, and I do know you’d have cherished him too.”
Jane shared a photograph from the Tuesday, October 15 tribute, which marked the Blue Jackets’ first common season residence sport for the reason that deaths of Johnny, 31, and Matthew, 29.
She additionally prolonged her because of Boston Faculty, the place each Johnny and Matthew performed, for a tribute video they posted on Friday, October 18.
“A few of our greatest recollections are with our household and mates watching John and Matty play at Boston Faculty ❤️❤️,” Jane wrote through X.
The brothers had been struck and killed by a suspected drunk driver whereas using their bicycles in Oldmans Township, New Jersey on August 29, the evening earlier than they had been scheduled to be groomsmen of their sister Katie Gaudreau’s marriage ceremony.
Through the pregame ceremony inside Columbus’ Nationwide Area, a video montage was proven that includes interview snippets of Johnny gushing about his love for hockey.
“Rising up my dad had me on the ice, and I believe I used to be two or three days previous,” Johnny stated. “He put me proper within the skates as quickly as he may and he put my youthful brother in skates as quickly as he may as properly. We now have sort of been a hockey household ever since.”
Johnny signed a seven-year contract with the Blue Jackets in July 2022 after spending the primary eight years of his skilled profession with the Calgary Flames.
“Rising up you look again at your childhood and also you see that is what I used to be meant to do,” Johnny stated within the tribute video. “I believe when it’s all set and accomplished I wish to be remembered as a man who simply needed to be across the rink and round his mates, round his household.”
Along with Jane and her husband Man Gaudreau, the ceremony was attended by Johnny’s spouse Meredith Gaudreau and the 2 youngsters she shared with Johnny: daughter Noa, 2, and son Johnny, 7 months.
Throughout her eulogy on the memorial service for Johnny and Matthew, Meredith revealed she is at present pregnant with the couple’s third child.
Matthew was survived by his spouse Madeline Gaudreau, who introduced she is pregnant with the couple’s first child following Matthew’s demise.