Gudbranson, Blue Jackets remember Johnny Gaudreau with candlelight vigil
Erik Gudbranson was among the teammates who gave a heartfelt speech about Johnny Gaudreau during a candlelight vigil at Nationwide Arena on Sept. 4.
Katie Gaudreau and Devin Joyce are set to be married on July 11 in Philadelphia, after postponing their original wedding date due to the tragic deaths of her brothers.Her brothers, Matthew and Johnny Gaudreau, were killed Aug. 29, 2024 in a bicycle accident involving an alleged drunk driver.Johnny Gaudreau was a former Columbus Blue Jackets star.
It’s nearly time for Katie Gaudreau and Devin Joyce to tie the knot at a wedding that was postponed by the tragic deaths of her brothers, Matthew and former Blue Jackets star Johnny.
According to posts from Katie Gaudreau on Instagram and the couple’s online registry website, they’re set to be married July 11 in Philadelphia. Their original wedding date was Aug. 30, 2024, but her brothers were struck and killed while biking together in Oldmans Township, New Jersey.
An alleged drunk driver, Sean M. Higgins, collided with them on a two-lane county road while attempting to pass a vehicle on the right shoulder. Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau would have been groomsmen at their sister’s wedding, and both left behind pregnant wives, adding another level of heartbreak to their deaths.
Both widows have since given birth to those babies, which was the third child for Meredith and Johnny Gaudreau and first for Matthew and his wife, Madeline.
Katie Gaudreau, the youngest of four siblings (two brothers, two sisters), announced the new date for her marriage to Joyce on Instagram in October 2024. She has added periodic updates as July 11 neared, including one July 4 with two words beneath a photo of Joyce giving her a kiss on the cheek: “One week.”
Blue Jackets reporter Brian Hedger can be reached at bhedger@dispatch.com and @BrianHedger.bsky.social
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