Islanders Select Cole Eiserman On Thursday night, tragedy struck the hockey world as Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau were killed by a drunk driver while out biking in their hometown of Salem, New Jersey. Johnny was 31. Matthew was 29. The two were to be groomsmen at their sister's wedding on Friday. Johnny Gaudreau, a father of two, was gearing up for his third season with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Before Columbus, he spent nine seasons with the Calgary Flames. His brother Matthew, a soon-to-be father, spent three seasons in the New York Islanders [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders/] organization, splitting time between the Bridgeport Sound Tigers and Worcester Railers. Matthew was with the organization from 2017-19, splitting time between Bridgeport and Worcester, before returning to Worcester in 2021-22. Tributes to both players have come pouring out from members of the Islanders organizations. After the Bridgeport Islanders released their statement, Bridgeport play-by-play man Alan Fuehring followed with his own words: With Worcester, Matthew was one of the pieces of their inaugural campaign in 2017-18. He appeared in 38 games with the Railers that season, tallying 12 goals and 15 assists for 27 points in 38 games. The Railers said in a statement, "Matty will always be remembered as one of the original Railers who helped guide the organization in our inaugural season. We remember his time spent in Worcester fondly." In addition to the organization and broadcasters, several former and current Islanders players expressed their support. Bo Horvat, Mathew Barzal, Mike Reilly, Noah Dobson, Casey Cizikas, Anthony Duclair, and Jean-Gabriel Pageau posted condolences on Instagram. On his story, Pageau said, "I am out of words. All my thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends." Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjA4OTM5MDg5NzQ1OTQ2MjI0/img_6147.jpg] Our hearts go out to Johnny and Matt's family, friends, and teammates during this difficult time.
