'Matty will always be remembered as one of the original Railers': Worcester mourns death of Gaudreau

WORCESTER — Former Worcester Railers hockey player Matthew Gaudreau died Thursday night.

He was just 29.

According to a police statement, Gaudreau and his older brother, Johnny, a member of the Columbus Blue Jackets, were killed while biking in New Jersey. According to a post on a popular wedding site and a report from the Columbus Dispatch, the Gaudreau brothers were scheduled to be groomsmen at their sister’s wedding Friday in Philadelphia.

Matthew Gaudreau played with the Railers from 2017 to 2019 and filled in for one game with the ECHL organization during the 2021-22 season.

The Railers released a statement on social media Friday morning.

“The Worcester Railers HC Organization is incredibly saddened by the passing of both Matthew and Johnny Gaudreau. They represented the sport of hockey and their family at the highest level both on and off the ice,” the statement read. “Matty will always be remembered as one of the original Railers who helped to guide the organization in our inaugural season. We remember his time spent in Worcester fondly. We offer our deepest condolences to the entire Gaudreau family.”

Both Gaudreau brothers — separated by two years in age — played hockey at Boston College before embarking on two different professional hockey careers.

Matthew Gaudreau played in 127 career ECHL games with the Railers and then the Reading Royals from 2017 to 2022, accumulating 100 points (35 goals and 65 assists).

He also added five points (one goal, four assists) in 22 career American Hockey League games with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers and Stockton Heat.

Gaudreau’s final professional hockey game came on Dec. 31, 2021, with the Worcester Railers.

“My heart goes out to the Gaudreau family, I can’t imagine how devastating this is for them. He was such a big part of getting the team off the ground and will always be a part of our Railers family,” said Railers chief operating officer Mike Myers, who has Gaudreau’s number saved in his cellphone as just "Matty."

“One of the biggest testaments to the kind of person that Matty was, was when he came out of retirement during a COVID-stricken year to help our team out for one game on the road in Reading. I texted him on a Wednesday night for a Friday-afternoon game to see if he was available, and he turned me down at first because he didn’t think he’d be helpful to the team. When he found out we would potentially not be able to play the game if he didn’t play, he showed up and was able to wear a Railers jersey one last time. He really enjoyed it. He was so grateful after the fact. It brought him back to that joy he would get from playing.

“He was just a kid who loved playing hockey."

Johnny Gaudreau played at BC from 2011 to 2014 before being selected by the Calgary Flames in the NHL Draft. He later signed with the Blue Jackets in 2022.

“The National Hockey League family is shocked and saddened by the tragic passing of Columbus Blue Jackets forward Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement.

The hockey world grieves the loss of the Gaudreau brothers. So, too, does their family.

“Last night we lost two husbands, two fathers, two sons, two brothers, two sons and brothers in law, two nephews, two cousins, two family members (,) two teammates, two friends but truly two amazing humans,” wrote their father, Jim, in a family statement. “We want to let everyone know we are receiving your messages of love and support and we appreciate your continued thoughts and prayers. We ask for your continued respect and privacy during this very difficult period of grief.”

Contact Tommy Cassell at [email protected]. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @tommycassell44. 

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Former Worcester Railers player Matthew Gaudreau dies in tragic crash