Former Stampeder LB Singleton pays tribute to Gaudreau brothers prior to Broncos game
Published
The Denver Broncos paid tribute to Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau on Sunday, posting a photo of linebacker Alex Singleton in a Gaudreau Calgary Flames jersey.
Singleton, 30, played three seasons with the Canadian Football League's Calgary Stampeders at the same time Johnny Gaudreau was playing for the Flames.
The two-time CFL All-Star was the league's Most Outstanding Defensive Player in 2017 and helped the Stampeders to a Grey Cup championship in 2018.
The Gaudreau brothers were struck by a car and killed on Aug. 29 while riding their bicycles in their home state of New Jersey. The Carneys Point, N.J., natives were in the area for their sister Katie's wedding scheduled for Friday in Philadelphia.
According to police, the Gaudreau brothers were cycling on a road when a man driving in the same direction attempted to pass two other vehicles and struck them from behind. They were pronounced dead at the scene. Police said the driver, Sean M. Higgins, was suspected of being under the influence of alcohol and charged with two counts of death by auto and jailed at the Salem County Correctional Facility.
Hundreds of public tributes and messages have poured in for the brothers since, including from their family, dozens of teammates, Wayne Gretzky, LeBron James, and many more.
Johnny Gaudreau, who was 31, played the first nine seasons of his career with the Flames before joining the Columbus Blue Jackets as a free agent in the summer of 2022. His younger brother Matthew was 29.
Lemieux Pays Tribute
Pittsburgh Penguins legend and hockey hall of fame player Mario Lemieux also paid tribute to the Gaudreau brothers on Sunday in a statement.
"The entire hockey world is here to support the Gaudreau family," said Lemieux on X (formerly Twitter). "Johnny and Matthew had such an amazing impact, both on and off the ice - and far beyond hockey. We are all one big family. You will be missed, but your legacy lives."