The sports world was devastated on Friday after learning of the passing of former NHL star Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew. The pair were killed by a drunk driver while riding their bikes in their hometown the day before their sister’s wedding.
Since the outpouring of support they received from hockey, football, and even baseball teams, a lot of news has come out about the family, and one of the more upsetting headlines was that Matthew and his wife, Madeline, were expecting a baby in December.
A GoFundMe was set up to support Madeline and their baby Tripp. It has recently reached over $500k in donations, completely surpassing the $30k goal. Now, even more news has come out about Matthew’s plans to coach.
In a conversation with a former pro hockey roommate, Gaudreau had recently accepted a job as a skills coach with a junior team in West Chester, Pennsylvania, which would have allowed the recently retired hockey player to spend more time with his family.
Matthew Gaudreau Tells Former Teammate He Was Excited To Coach
Frankie DiChiara, who played with Matthew Gaudreau in the ECHL, said he was excited to be able to see Gaudreau more often after finding out that he took the coaching job. DiChiara coaches the PAL Islanders, who play in the same league as the team Gaudreau would have coached.
DiChiara, who spoke to Gaudreau a week before his passing, said, “Matty and I always stayed in touch. He was one of my best friends. ” He added, “I was at his wedding and visited him on the Jersey Shore two summers ago.”
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Both Gaudreau and DiChiara were excited to be coaching in the same league. As DiChiara pointed out, “He’d been on the road a lot coaching juniors the last few years, and he was excited that this position would have allowed him to be closer to his wife and baby on the way.”
The Gaudreau brothers were only 31 and 29, respectively. Two young lives were lost way too soon in a tragic incident.
