Johnny Gaudreau's Wife Meredith Thanks Jimmy Hayes' Widow for Her Support: ‘Members of a Club Nobody Wants to Be in’
Johnny and his brother Matthew, 29, died on Aug. 29 after an alleged drunk driver crashed into them the night before their sister Katie’s wedding
Johnny Gaudreau’s wife, Meredith Gaudreau, is grateful for the support that she has received in the wake of Johnny's death.
On Monday, Sept. 9, the late ice hockey player’s widow reshared words of encouragement from Jimmy Hayes’ wife, Kristen Hayes.
Johnny, 31, and his fellow ice-hockey player brother Matthew, 29, were killed on Aug. 29 after an alleged drunk driver crashed into them. The brothers had been riding their bikes in Oldmans Township, N.J., the night before their sister Katie’s wedding.
“We are members of a club no one wants to be in,” Meredith wrote on her Instagram Stories. “Love you, Kristen.”
Sharing a post about Meredith delivering Johnny’s eulogy at his funeral, Kristen wrote, “I’m so proud of you Meredith. I’m so glad I found the strength to speak at Jimmy’s services.”
“Some days I have no idea how we do it, but we do. I know every single emotion you are feeling today and every other day after that. You’re incredible,” she continued.
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Kristen’s first husband died at the age of 31 in 2021, just three months after the pair welcomed their second son Mac.
The mother of three, who has since remarried fellow widower Evan Crosby, expressed her heartbreak following Johnny and Matthew’s deaths.
"Unimaginable news this morning. Heartbroken. There are no words," she wrote at the time alongside a broken heart emoji.
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Meanwhile, at Johnny’s funeral, Meredith announced that she was nine weeks pregnant with their third baby.
Meredith and the Columbus Blue Jackets star shared seven-month-old son Johnny and daughter Noa, who turns 2 in October.
Matthew’s widow Madeline Gaudreau is also pregnant with the couple’s first baby.
Addressing Meredith during her speech at the funeral of their husbands, Madeline said, “I promise I will always be there for you and the kids and that we will honor the lives of our husbands together, hand in hand, alongside their family and friends.”
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