Ice hockey community and family mourn the Gaudreau brothers

MEDIA, Pa. – She delivered her eulogy for John Gaudreau through tears, her stories punctuated by sniffles, sometimes even laughing about how she fell in love with a young man with a mohawk and the immense heartache of a life that ended “far too soon.” Meredith Gaudreau had more to tell about her husband than stories of his humble beginnings on the ice and his rise to NHL stardom: Their family of four would soon become five. She recently revealed to John that he was going to be a father again.

“John and I had the best six months as a family of four,” she said. “They will forever be the best six months of my life.”

Meredith Gaudreau announced at the funeral of her husband and his brother Matthew – who both died while cycling when they were hit by a suspected drunk driver – that she was nine weeks pregnant with the couple's third child.

She called the pregnancy a blessing, but the shock of the revelation in a church in suburban Philadelphia was another heartbreaking reminder of the joyful future the brothers had lost when they were murdered on the eve of their younger sister's wedding in New Jersey.

John and Matthew Gaudreau were remembered at a tearful funeral Monday at St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church as loving brothers and husbands who put family above hockey and everything else. Matthew's widow, Madeline and Meredith each described how the brothers enjoyed an unbreakable bond in every aspect of life, from the twin beds they used in a shared room at their parents' home in Carneys Point, New Jersey, to their playing days together at Boston College to the summers they spent at family gatherings on the Jersey Shore.

Side by side – just as their coffins stood in the church.

“God really drafted the two best guys,” said Madeline Gaudreau. “Linemates forever.”

John was 31 and Matthew was 29.

“Everything always revolved around John and Matty,” said Meredith Gaudreau. “I know John couldn't live a day without his brother. He loved him so much.”

Buses brought players and others to the church. Other area churches prayed and supported the Gaudreau family, and hundreds of people came to the service, including several children wearing John Gaudreau's No. 13 jersey, which the NHL player is known to fans as “Johnny Hockey.” His former Columbus Blue Jackets teammate Patrik Laine, Cole Caufield of the Montreal Canadiens, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and longtime executive Brian Burke were among the numerous league members in attendance.

“It just shows the true honor and respect that everyone has given them. I just can't imagine what they're going through,” Caufield, who will wear number 13 in honor of John Gaudreau, said outside the church before the funeral.

Meredith Gaudreau paid tribute to two of John's closest friends, Sean Monahan and Kevin Hayes, in a eulogy lasting over 30 minutes.

“You both have known John longer than I have, which means you have made him the man I fell in love with,” she said. “He looked up to you both on and off the ice. You are his brothers, which means you are my brothers too. Thank you for being there for me even during this difficult time.”

Madeline Gaudreau is also pregnant. The couple's first child, a boy to be named Tripp, is due in December.

“I am so thankful that God gave us a child, a little Matty, who will walk around for the rest of his life and carry on his legacy. Tripp will know how much his father loved him and I promise to do all the things with him that we talked about,” Madeline said.

John, an all-star with the Calgary Flames and Blue Jackets, and Matthew, who coached the Gloucester Catholic hockey team, a program his father co-founded, both played NCAA hockey at Boston College about a decade ago.

Reverend Tony Penna, director of campus ministry at BC, asked those in attendance at the church to look around and see how many people had made the journey to express their thanks, calling it a source of comfort for parents Guy and Jane.

“By the overwhelming presence and the overwhelming number of people here today, they are sending you the message loud and clear that John and Matthew's lives mattered, that they were noticed on this earth, that they were loved on this earth and that they were valued on this earth,” Penna said.

The Gaudreau brothers were riding their bikes on a road in Oldmans Township, New Jersey, around 8 p.m. on Aug. 29 when a man driving an SUV in the same direction attempted to pass two other vehicles and struck them from behind, according to New Jersey State Police. The driver, who faces two counts of involuntary manslaughter, reckless driving, possession of an open container and consumption of alcohol in a motor vehicle, was detained pending a hearing on Friday.

“I urge everyone to never drive while drunk,” said Madeline Gaudreau. “Hail a ride. Please do not subject another family to this ordeal. The loss of Matty and John will forever leave a void in the family, his close friends and the community.”

Meredith Gaudreau's father, Ed Morris, speaking on behalf of the family, said the only goal for the future is to try to recreate the Gaudreau brothers' way of life.

“John and Matty would be so happy if the world knew how they lived their lives and we could all make our lives better because of it,” Morris said. “This is the greatest gift we can give to John, Matt and the Gaudreau's who are living in deep pain.”

John and Matthew Gaudreau are being mourned throughout the sports world, including in Columbus, Ohio, where the elder Gaudreau signed as a free agent with the Blue Jackets, a smaller team, in 2022 despite more lucrative offers from other teams.

“He did it to be closer to his family, plain and simple,” Meredith Gaudreau said. “He wanted his parents and siblings to be able to watch more games and spend more time with us and our baby who is on the way.”

The brothers' lives have been celebrated on social media since their deaths.

Katie Gaudreau, the little sister who was due to marry the day after her brothers were killed, posted pictures of her family in happier times.

“It brings tears to my eyes to see how much everyone loved and appreciated my husband and brother-in-law as well as their families,” said Madeline Gaudreau. “This past week has felt like I'm trapped in a nightmare that I can't wake up from. I feel numb, angry, sad and blessed all at the same time. Some days the thought of this new reality paralyzes me, but mostly I just miss Matt.”