COLUMBUS, Ohio — The NHL is honoring Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau with special helmet decals that will be worn by players on all 32 teams to start the season.
The decals feature the letter G in the middle for Gaudreau and No. 13 on the left side for Johnny, who played for Columbus the last two seasons, and No. 21 on the right for Matthew.
Johhny and Matthew were riding their bicycles on a road in their home state of New Jersey when they were struck by a suspected drunken driver on the eve of their sister's wedding. The driver who police say struck them is charged with two counts of death by auto, along with reckless driving, possession of an open container and consuming alcohol in a motor vehicle.
The New Jersey Devils and Buffalo Sabres will be the first to wear the decals when they open the regular season on Friday. The decals will be worn through Oct. 24.
Johnny, 31, played nine seasons for the Calgary Flames before arriving to Columbus. Matthew, 29, played five seasons for the American Hockey League, ACHL and Sweden.
The Blue Jackets honored Johnny with an emotional video tribute and 13 seconds of silence during their first home preseason game last week.
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