Johnny Gaudreau candlelight vigil in Columbus: Blue Jackets fans, players remember former BC star

Fans and Columbus Blue Jackets players gathered for an emotional candlelight vigil outside the team's arena Wednesday night to remember Johnny Gaudreau and brother Matthew, who died last week when they were struck by a vehicle while riding bicycles in their home state of New Jersey.
The crowd of roughly 1,000 outside the Nationwide Arena was encouraged at 7:49 p.m. to light their candles.
For the next 13:21 - for Johnny's jersey No. 13 and Matthew's No. 21 - they stood in silent remembrance watching a nearby video screen as a slideshow played of the brothers from childhood, through their teenage years and into college hockey, the pros, marriages, baptisms and lives filled with joy and love.
Flanked by a memorial 20 feet deep and 40 feet wide of jerseys, candles, balloons, stuffed animals, Gatorade bottles and signage, players including captain Boone Jenner, defenseman Erik Gudbranson and forward Cole Sillinger shared memories and inspirations they gained from knowing Johnny Gaudreau.
Gudbranson had known Gaudreau the longest, dating to their time as teammates with 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.
“"I had this little thing with John where 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.
When the timer finished counting up and candle wax and tears commingled on the bricks outside the arena, chants began: “Johnny Hockey, Johnny Hockey, Johnny Hockey.”
At 8:08, the players moved back inside the building as one. A similar vigil took place Calgary, where Johnny Gaudreau played for nearly a decade.
The Gaudreau brothers were cycling on a road in Oldmans Township on Thursday night when an SUV driving in the same direction attempted to pass two other vehicles and struck them from behind, according to New Jersey State Police. They were pronounced dead at the scene.
Police said 43-year-old Sean M. Higgins was charged with two counts of death by auto, along with reckless driving, possession of an open container and consuming alcohol in a motor vehicle.