Sister of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau speaks after fatal crash: ‘This will never be a goodbye’

The sister of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau spoke publicly for the first time after an allegedly drunk driver fatally struck her brothers while they were riding bikes along County Route 551 in New Jersey.

“To know these two was to love these two. … The entire world knows there would never have been a John without Matty or Matty without John. The absolute best big brothers a little girl could have asked for,” Katie Gaudreau captioned a 13-photo tribute slide show posted to Instagram on Monday. “This will never be a goodbye post because I will never stop saying your names and honoring you both.”

The brothers were slated to attend Katie Gaudreau’s wedding, which was scheduled to take place at a South Jersey church the day after the crash.

» READ MORE: NHL star and South Jersey native Johnny Gaudreau and brother killed after being struck by vehicle while riding bikes

Katie Gaudreau’s post — which had received more than 57,000 likes and 1,800 comments by Tuesday morning — intersperses childhood photos of the Gaudreau brothers with pictures of grown-up Johnny and Matthew at parties, weddings, holidays, and her high school graduation. Commenters paid their respects with broken and bandaged heart emojis.

“I never followed hockey & didn’t know who your brothers were, but their story has [had] me in tears ever since I heard it,” wrote one Instagram user, while others from Calgary — where Johnny Gaudreau played his first nine NHL seasons for the Flames — said “he will never be forgotten.”

Johnny Gaudreau, a seven-time NHL All-Star, was playing for the Columbus Blue Jackets at the time of his death. Johnny Gaudreau, 31, and Matthew Gaudreau, 29, grew up in Salem County, N.J. After playing several seasons of professional hockey, Matthew had returned to South Jersey to coach at the Hollydell Ice Area in Gloucester County.

» READ MORE: Mike Sielski: Johnny and Matty Gaudreau were more than hockey. They were inspirations to their South Jersey community.

The Gaudreau brothers were on a bike ride in Oldmans Township when the driver of a Jeep Grand Cherokee struck them, authorities said. The driver was identified as Sean M. Higgins, 43, of Woodstown, who has been charged with two counts of death by auto. Higgins told New Jersey State Police that he “drank five to six beers before the crash,” according to the affidavit, and failed a field sobriety test.

The crash has rocked the hockey community, drawing tributes from the Blue Jackets, current and former Flyers, and politicians ranging from New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. A memorial for Gaudreau has also been erected on the steps the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, where fans have been leaving flowers and Flames memorabilia.

» READ MORE: Tributes and stories flow in following the death of South Jersey hockey star Johnny Gaudreau and brother Matthew