On Monday, the closest family, friends and former teammates said their last goodbyes to the late American hockey player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew. The funeral took place in the city of Media in the US state of Pennsylvania.
Photo: ČTK / AP / Joe Maiorana
Columbus Blue Jackets hockey players during the mourning ceremony.
The brothers tragically died on Thursday, August 29, when they were hit by a car while cycling. Both played together at Boston College, but only Johnny finally broke through to the NHL.
During ten seasons, he played 763 games in the pro league in the jerseys of the Calgary Flames and the Columbus Blue Jackets. Hundreds of people said goodbye to the brothers in both cities on Thursday.
“One simply enjoyed their company, they brought joy with them every day. They were both very, very talented hockey players, but most of all they were great people,” Boston University assistant coach Mike Ayers said, according to the AP.
The day after the accident, their younger sister Katie was to get married. Johnny is survived by his widow Meredith and two children, Matthew did not live to see the birth of his first child.
His wife Madeline, who is expecting a baby in December, started a collection on the GoFundMe platform.
“Matthew didn’t make millions like Johnny, and there’s no pension in the game from the players’ association.” It’s important that the hockey community realizes this and helps his family,” said Michael Myers of the ECHL’s Worcester Railers, where Matthew played two seasons.
Source: sportweb.pravda.sk
