South Jersey Magazine - Moorestown / Mt. Laurel

zoom_in

SJM 1024 Impact — Gaudreaus - FINAL_Dept 10 / 22 / 24 1 : 23 PM Page 1 Years prior to this , Anthony Calabrese was forming a similar bond with Johnny as the two grew up together . “ Their I M P A C T grandmother used to be our ride to school , ” he says . Over the years , their friend group I would grow and give themselves the mon - iker The Hollydell Boys , spending count - less hours together on and off the ice . Needless to say , Calabrese was not prepared to grasp the loss of two of his best friends . “ It was shellshock to say the least , ” Calabrese says . “ It’s not a phone call you ever expect to receive ; to hear about two of your best friends passing away . The only thing we can do is really cherish the moments we had with them . ” John Sasselli’s two sons , ages 17 and 8 , also learned the game of hockey under Guy’s tutelage at Hollydell . “ Everyone wanted to try and get on [ Guy’s ] team if they could . He was hard on them , but def - initely one of the better coaches around . He was just great with the kids , ” he says . Sasselli’s oldest is now an accom - plished player at the club level , but for - merly spent one year at Gloucester Catholic where he played on a team led by Matt , who followed in his father’s foot - steps and became the school’s head Coping with coach in 2022 . The Sasselli family , like so many others connected to the Gau - dreaus , struggled with the news . “ It wasn’t just us , everyone was devas - a Painful Loss tated . We knew Guy and [ his wife ] Jane , and hearing what happened , it was ter - THE TRAGIC DEATHS OF JOHN AND MATT rible news , ” Sasselli says . GAUDREAU SENT SHOCKWAVES THROUGH SOUTH Mike Gadzinski’s son had a similar JERSEY’S HOCKEY COMMUNITY AND BEYOND . story , learning to skate at Hollydell under By Peter Proko Guy’s watchful eye before landing at Gloucester Catholic as a freshman on the hockey team the same year Matt took eartbreaking . Tragic . Devastating . Unimaginable . Those are just some of over the program . Gadzinski , also an the words that were echoed throughout South Jersey , Columbus , Ohio , Calgary , alum , credits Matt’s vested interest in his H Alberta , and around the globe when news broke that NHL superstar Johnny son with helping him grow as a player . Gaudreau and his brother Matthew were killed by an alleged drunk driver while riding “ We will be forever grateful for Matty’s bicycles near their family’s Salem County home in late August . guidance and trust in Andrew , ” he says . Mourning the loss of loved ones is something that many can relate to , but the grip - Watching his son flourish while get - ping sadness to this story continues to reverberate . ting to know the Gaudreau family better , “ Honestly , I don’t know if it feels real , even to this day , ” says Hunter Brody , a host on made the news even more difficult for 94WIP and very close friend of the brothers . “ But as much as it hurts me and my wife , just Gadzinski to process . thinking of the family brings you to a whole different level of pain . ” “ To be honest , once the news was As a young hockey player playing at Hollydell Ice Arena , Brody was well aware of the confirmed , I was sick to my stomach . … Gaudreau name . Guy Gaudreau has long been a highly respected coach and figure in the As a parent , all I could think was , ‘ If I feel South Jersey hockey community and his sons , like so many others , grew up refining their this way , what is happening to the Gau - skills at the rink . dreau family right now ? ’ My heart was But it wasn’t until Brody attended Gloucester Catholic High School , where Guy was broken for them . I was angry . I went coaching and building a dominant program , that he got to share the ice with Matt Gau - through a gamut of feelings that I think dreau . That freshman year , Brody and Matt also shared every single class together and many have also shared and felt , ” he says . the two soon became inseparable . As their relationship grew , so did Brody’s bond with The tragedy certainly hit home with the older Johnny . the rest of the Gloucester Catholic com - “ I’m staying over their house and we wake up in the morning and there is Coach Guy munity as well . making us breakfast , ” Brody fondly recalls . “ My initial reaction was shock and SOUTH JERSEY MAGAZINE volume 21 issue 7 SouthJerseyMagazine.com 20 |

view text

zoom_in

SJM 1024 Impact — Gaudreaus - FINAL_Dept 10 / 22 / 24 1 : 23 PM Page 2 Johnny and Matt through the years . “ Johnny was a fantastic hockey player , and I watched him do things on our ice that I was stunned by , and I have played hockey my whole life , ” he says . “ But I also refer back to Matt and his involvement MEMORIAL FOR THE GAUDREAU BROTHERS AT HOLLYDELL ICE ARENA coming back to Hollydell and throwing himself into being a coach and doing a sadness . I did not want to believe that it older brother and having a stint in the great job mentoring our players . He was a was true , ” says Thomas Iacovone , prin - American Hockey League before joining presence in our rink and just a good cipal . “ Matt and John were incredible the coaching ranks . Yet , the two were person . He gave everyone a smile , said hockey talents but they were even better approachable and happy to engage hello and made everyone’s day better . Just people . They showed everyone they came anyone who wanted to get an autograph , a super nice kid who always brought a in contact with how to love and they got take a picture or just talk hockey . positive air to the rink . ” that from their amazing family . ” “ They always made themselves avail - Given the Gaudreaus ’ strong ties to Ryan Murphy , director of athletics and able , especially to young kids , ” says Mitch Hollydell , Mackey and his staff knew they the school’s enrollment manager , shares Larnerd , president of Checking for Charity , had to honor Johnny and Matt in some similar sentiments : “ Whether you knew an organization that the Gaudreau family fashion . In September , Hollydell held a them or not , I think any parent who heard was heavily involved with . “ I don’t think special ceremony for the family at which of this immediately put themselves in Guy there’s anything we ever asked them to do they announced the futures ice rink would and Jane’s shoes and were crushed . to help promote the charity that they be renamed The Gaudreau Rink . Knowing them made it especially hard didn’t do at 110 % to help the cause . They “ They were tremendously inspira - because I know how incredibly tight they were just great , down - to - earth people . ” tional and they will continue to be inspira - are as a family . Guy and Jane and their four Sean Grevy , who connected with tional , so I chose to name the rink where children are each other’s biggest fans and Johnny while playing in the annual all our young kids start playing here after supporters . It is really enviable how sup - Checking for Charity tournament , formed the Gaudreaus to keep that link alive , ” say portive and loving they are of each other . ” his own lasting bond with the star player . Mackey . “ I was asked early on , ‘ What are For the past eight years , Pat Murphy Grevy would go on to start his own foun - you guys going to do ? ’ Well , we are going has been the head of the Johnny Gaudreau dation , 43 Oak , to give players of color and to be sad and we are going to grieve and Scholarship Golf Tournament , which from underserved communities the we’re going to do that for as long as it helped provide student tuition assistance opportunity to feel welcomed in a sport takes . I don’t know how long that’s going to to Gloucester Catholic families in need . It that traditionally has a lot of barriers to be , but at the same time , we are going to was a cause near and dear to all those entry . Johnny would often skate with the keep celebrating them because that’s what involved and just another example of the kids and offer tips and advice on ways to they deserve . ” Gaudreaus giving back to the community improve their game . Grevy says it’s those As tributes near and far continue to they came from . special moments that are something those take place , the pain associated with the “ They played around the world , but young men will never forget . Gaudreau brothers ’ passing isn’t likely to they never forgot their Gloucester Catholic subside anytime soon , but those who family roots , ” says Murphy , the school’s knew them best continue to support the executive director of development . “ They family and keep their memories alive . gave their time , talent and treasure back to “ We did lose two of our best friends , Gloucester Catholic because of their love but [ their sisters ] Katie and Kristen still of the school . ” have another nine or 10 brothers . We are Soon after their passing , the school always going to be there for them , ” Cal - knew it wanted to do something special to abrese affirms . “ We’re fortunate to be very honor Johnny and Matt’s legacy . They close friends with them and we want to decided to hold a quiet night of remem - continue their legacy and let them watch HUNTER BRODY WITH brance to honor the Gaudreaus , deco - over us . We are going to enjoy our lives and THE GAUDREAU BROTHERS rating the gymnasium with photos and know they are always there with us . ” jerseys . Nearly 1,000 people showed up as “ So many of my players have gotten “ What helps for me , ” says Brody , “ is a sign of support and to pay their respects . the short end of the stick pretty much their when we are all together at the Gaudreau “ It was a sad but also heartwarming entire lives , so to be able to see the smiles house ; it’s almost normal . Because we evening , ” says Iacovone . “ They are a close - on their faces while they are warming up know that when we were all there , that’s knit family who is always there for each across from and playing against Johnny because Matty and Johnny were there . It other and for their community . ” Gaudreau ; for some of the kids that was brought us together and made it feel like Many of the folks who know the Gau - better than making it to the NHL , ” Grevy this wasn’t happening because that’s dreau family talk about how approachable says . where we were always together as one . ” and friendly they were . Johnny , who was a “ For me personally , getting to know “ Through all of this , the common prominent player in the NHL for both the [ Johnny ] over these years and to see what thread echoed over and over has been Calgary Flames and more recently the kind of guy he was , that’s what makes this family , ” says Gadzinski . “ You can see just Columbus Blue Jackets , did not come whole thing hurt that much more , ” Grevy how close they are and just how close even across as a pretentious star athlete . Matt adds . friends of the brothers are . It’s something achieved his own level of success in the Jim Mackey is the owner of Hollydell that can’t be stated enough . Family is ! game , playing at Boston College like his Ice Arena , and recalls watching both everything . ” SOUTH JERSEY MAGAZINE volume 21 issue 7 SouthJerseyMagazine.com | 21

view text

input

view_module

keyboard_arrow_left

keyboard_arrow_right