Robert Brown|Known as ‘Johnny Hockey,’ Johnny Gaudreau was an NHL All-Star and a top U.S. player internationally

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and Robert Brownhis brother Matthew were killed by a suspected drunken driver while riding bicycles Thursday night near their childhood home in New Jersey. They were set to be groomsmen on Friday at their sister Katie’s wedding.

Gaudreau was known around the sport as “Johnny Hockey,” a nickname coined by fans when he starred at Boston College from 2011-14. He helped BC win the national title in 2012 and took home the Hobey Baker Award as the NCAA’s top player two years later.

The Gaudreau brothers grew up in the Philadelphia suburb of Carneys Point, New Jersey, where they spent their entire childhoods on the ice. They played at Gloucester Catholic High School, with Team Comcast and with the Philadelphia Little Flyers.

Johnny Gaudreau was a fourth-round pick of the Calgary Flames in 2011 and made his NHL debut in 2014 just after playing his final college game. He was named to the league’s all-rookie team during his first full professional season.

Gaudreau in 2017 won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, awarded to the player who exhibits sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability. He was perennially one of the top players in the sport and in 2021-22 set career highs with 40 goals, 75 assists and 115 points.

That summer, he signed a seven-year contract worth $68.25 million with the Columbus Blue Jackets as the top free agent on the market. He made two more All-Star Weekend appearances, giving him seven total.

___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL