Matthew Gaudreau’s widow welcomes their first child months after his death alongside his NHL star brother in bike wreck
By Maria Aguilar Prieto, CNN
(CNN) — Four months after her husband’s death alongside his NHL star brother, the widow of former high school ice hockey coach Matthew Gaudreau announced the birth of their first child.
Madeleine Gaudreau welcomed a baby boy named Tripp Matthew, she shared Sunday on Instagram.
Matthew Gaudreau, 29, and his NHL star brother Johnny Gaudreau, 31, were killed in August after they were struck by a suspected drunken driver while riding bikes on a New Jersey roadway. The stunning incident happened hours before they were to serve as groomsmen at their sister’s wedding near Philadelphia and drew condolences from across the hockey world and beyond.
At the brothers’ joint funeral service in September, Madeleine said her late husband had tears “in his eyes when we first heard Tripp’s heartbeat.”
“Anyone that knows Matty knows he was born to be a dad,” she said.
“Matthew was so excited to welcome Tripp into this world, and although the plan now looks a little different, I know Matt will surround his son for the rest of his life,” she added.
The brothers were talented hockey athletes and played together at Boston College during the 2013-14 season.
After college, Matthew Gaudreau played professionally for five seasons. He had returned to Gloucester Catholic High School, the brothers’ alma mater in New Jersey, to work as an ice hockey coach in 2022.
Johnny Gaudreau starred in the NHL for 11 seasons with the Calgary Flames and Columbus Blue Jackets.
A grand jury this month indicted Sean Higgins, 44, in the brothers’ deaths. He was charged with two counts of reckless vehicular homicide, two counts of aggravated manslaughter, tampering with physical evidence and leaving the scene of a fatal accident, indictment documents show.
Higgins’ recent knee surgery could have impacted the results of his field sobriety test, defense attorney Matthew Portella argued at a virtual detention hearing in September.
“He’s a good person, and he made a horrible decision that night,” Portella said.
Salem County Judge Michael Silvanio ordered Higgins to be held for trial, citing concerns about his driving and noting his “impatience” caused the two deaths.
Higgins is set to be arraigned January 7, according to CNN affiliate WPVI. If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in prison.
Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly reported Sean Higgins’ age. He is 44.
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