Katie Gaudreau’s fiancé, Devin Joyce, also shared an emotional tribute to the NHL star and his brother Matthew, who were killed by a suspected drunk driver the day before their sister’s wedding, which was postponed following the tragedy.
Katie Gaudreau, the younger sister of late NHL star Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew, says her siblings will be there in spirit when she ultimately walks down the aisle.
Johnny, 31, and Matthew, 29, were biking in their home state of New Jersey last Thursday when a suspected drunk driver mowed them down, killing the pair and forcing Katie to cancel her August 30 wedding, where both brothers were set to serve as groomsmen.
TMZ Sports reported that Katie and her fiancé, Devin Joyce, made the difficult decision to call off their wedding ceremony in the wake of the fatal crash.
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On Tuesday, Katie took to her Instagram Stories to open up about her upcoming nuptials following her brothers’ tragic deaths.
She reshared an emotional tribute her fiancé posted on Instagram earlier this week. Alongside the post, Katie wrote, “My brothers loved devin more than he will ever know. They were so excited for us to get married.”
“When the day comes they are going to be dancing and celebrating more than anyone,” she added.
In his post, Joyce paid tribute to Johnny and Matthew, sharing a series of family photos.
“They say when you find the one, you’re not just marrying them but their family too. I know I never said it but I loved you guys so much. I’m so lucky to have called you two my brothers for as long as I did.”
“There is not a second that will go by I will not look at Katie and see both of you. I promise to take the absolute best care of your little sister and I know when the day comes you will be with us on that day.”
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Just days after Johnny and Matthew’s heartbreaking deaths, Katie took to social media to pay tribute.
In the moving post Monday, Katie shared several family photos of her older brothers, including shots alongside their parents.
“To know these two was to love these two,” she began. “There are absolutely no words I have to express the bond my family shared. The entire world knows there would never have been a John without Matty or Matty without John. The absolute best big brothers a little girl could have asked for.”
Katie said she did not view the tribute to her brothers as a “goodbye” as she plans to never “stop saying” Johnny and Matthew’s names.
“I’ll take the best care of mom, dad, Kristen, Mer, and Madeline, your babies,” she added, referring to their other sister, her brothers’ wives, and their children.
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Johnny, who played in the NHL for the Columbus Blue Jackets, was married to wife Meredith Gaudreau, with whom he shared two children, 1-year-old daughter Noa and 6-month-old son Johnny Jr., while Matthew was expecting his first baby with his wife, Madeline Gaudreau, when he died.
Alongside the message, Katie included a slideshow of photos of the siblings through the years.
A GoFundMe page to support Madeline and her unborn son, Tripp, has already raised over $500,000.
Several sports stars have also paid tribute to the Gaudreau brothers in the wake of their death, including LeBron James, Mike Trout and more.
The driver involved in the accident, Sean M. Higgins, was arrested and charged with two counts of vehicular homicide after allegedly admitting to having five or six beers before the incident.