The wedding of Johnny Gaudreau’s sister has been canceled after the NHL star and their brother, Matthew Gaudreau, were killed by a suspected drunk driver, Page Six can confirm.
Katie Gaudreau and her fiancé, Devin Joyce, called off Friday’s nuptials at the Parish of St. Mary in Gloucester City, NJ, in the wake of Thursday’s tragedy.
The bride- and groom-to-be had been scheduled to walk down the aisle at the Roman Catholic church at 1:45 p.m., with Johnny and Matthew serving as groomsmen and their other sister, Kristen Venello, as a maid of honor.
Johnny Gaudreau’s (far right) sister Katie Gaudreau’s (second from right) wedding was canceled after the deaths of the NHL star and their brother, Matthew Gaudreau (center).Instagram / @kgaudreau13
Johnny, seen here in 2022, was supposed to be a groomsman in Friday’s ceremony.Getty Images
Katie reposted a photo on her Instagram Story from her wedding rehearsal Thursday.cvpek3/kgaudreau13/Instagram
Katie (left, with Matthew and sister Kristen Venello in 2019) had been set to marry her fiancé, Devin Joyce (not pictured).Instagram/@kgaudreau13
Guests were then set to travel to Philadelphia for the couple’s 7:30 p.m. reception at the Lucy by Cescaphe, according to Katie and Joyce’s page on the Knot.
The Parish of St. Mary did not immediately return Page Six’s phone calls.
Johnny, 31, and Matthew, 29, were fatally struck by a Jeep Grand Cherokee on Thursday at 8:19 p.m. while riding bikes in their native Salem County, NJ.
A suspected drunk driver killed Johnny and Matthew, pictured above in 2014, while they were biking Thursday.Getty Images
Sean M. Higgins, seen here in his mugshot Thursday, was charged with two counts of vehicular homicide.New Jersey State Police
Police said the driver, Sean M. Higgins, had attempted to pass two slow-moving vehicles and instead hit the siblings from behind on the eve of their sister’s big day.
Higgins, 43, reportedly failed a sobriety test and admitted to having consumed five or six beers before the incident.
He was jailed and charged with two counts of vehicular homicide, according to inmate records seen by Page Six.
Johnny is survived by his wife, Meredith Gaudreau (pictured), and their two children.@meredithgaudreau_/Instagram
He played for the Columbus Blue Jackets.@meredithgaudreau_/Instagram
Johnny’s team, the Columbus Blue Jackets, issued a statement Friday morning saying they were “shocked and devastated” by the “unimaginable tragedy.”
The organization also sent their condolences to the left winger’s wife, Meredith Gaudreau, whom he married in September 2021, and their two children: daughter Noa, 1, and son Johnny Jr., 6 months.
Matthew was also a hockey player, having most recently played for the Worcester Railers.
