COLUMBUS, Ohio — A memorial service will be held on Monday for Columbus Blue Jackets star Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew.
The service will be held in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, according to CBS News. The Blue Jackets said it will stream the service on their website.
During a press conference on Wednesday, the club's president and general manager Don Waddell said the entire team will be in attendance.
Johnny and Matthew were killed by a suspected drunken driver, identified by police as 43-year-old Sean Higgins, last week in their home state of New Jersey on the eve of their sister's wedding.
Higgins was driving in the same direction as Johnny and Matthew when he attempted to pass two other vehicles and struck them from behind, according to New Jersey State Police. He's been charged with two counts of death by auto, along with reckless driving, possession of an open container and consuming alcohol in a motor vehicle.
Roughly 1,000 fans gathered outside Nationwide Arena on Wednesday for a candlelight vigil. A moment of silence was held for 13 minutes and 21 seconds — for Johnny's No. 13 jersey and Matthew's No. 21.
Multiple players shared memories they had with Johnny, including defenseman Erik Gudbranson, who played with Johnny on the Calgary Flames.
He made the crowd chuckle sharing stories of Gaudreau barely making it on time to every team meeting and how he could be out of the locker room in his suit before Gudbranson had gotten out of his skates.
“A little thing I did with John is I’d pick him up and give him a bear hug, and I wouldn’t put him down until he told me he loved me,” Gudbranson told the crowd. “He wouldn’t tell me for a long time. I know up here it was because he enjoyed the hug. We just miss him so much.”
In Columbus earlier Wednesday, Waddell attempted to make sense of the tragedy.
“While there’s a huge hole in our lineup, there’s an even bigger one in our hearts,” Waddell said, acknowledging that questions remain about how the team would move forward. “Our immediate focus is on supporting the Gaudreau family and supporting each other as we continue to grieve the loss of Johnny and Matthew.”
Columbus said contributions in Johnny and Matthew's memory can be made to the John & Matthew Gaudreau Foundation c/o Lewis Gross, Sports Management 560 Sylvan, Suite 3070, Englewood Cliffs, N.J. 07632.
"The family remains grateful for the expressions of love and support they have received and ask for continued respect and privacy at this time," the Blue Jackets said in a release.