Penguins’ Kevin Hayes Pays Tribute to Friend Johnny Gaudreau, Brother

Pittsburgh Penguins center Kevin Hayes lost his close friend and college teammate Johnny Gaudreau to a tragic biking accident Thursday night. Gaudreau and his brother Matthew were killed while biking on a rural New Jersey road near Salem Thursday night by a driver who has been charged in the deaths and with being under the influence.

Hayes used social media to pay tribute on Friday.

Hayes, 32, also lost his brother, Jimmy Hayes, to a drug overdose in 2021. Jimmy finished his career with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in 2019.

Hayes and Gaudreau were teammates with Boston College for three seasons from 2011 to 2014. Although the two were never teammates in the NHL, they remained close.

 

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The Penguins acquired Hayes from the St. Louis Blues at the 2024 NHL Draft.

Hayes’s second photo on his Instagram story (@kphayes12) was particularly heartbreaking. He posted a photo of Gaudreau and Jimmy’s son with the caption, “Say hello to Beau’s dad for me.”

Matthew Gaudreau

GoFundMe has verified a fundraiser for Matthew Gaudreu’s family. Matthew Tkachuk, Johnny’s teammate with the Calgary Flames, was one of several people to donate $1000. The fundraiser has already exceeded its $30,000 goal, but the money is going to the long-term care of Matthew’s family. It is available here.