Family and friends of the Gaudreau brothers remember them
MEDIA, Pa. (CBS, KYMA/KECY) - Family, close friends and the hockey community came together Monday at St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church in Media, Delaware County for the funeral for Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau.
The two beloved South Jersey hockey players were killed by a suspected drunk driver on Aug. 29.
Montreal Canadiens winger Cole Caufield was one of many in the NHL community in town to show support for the Gaudreau family.
"It's the only thing we can do," Caufield said. "It's obviously a really tough time. It doesn't feel real yet. Everywhere he went, he was loved and respected."
Caufield announced last week that he would change his jersey number from No. 22 to No. 13 to honor his "hero."
Caufield and Gaudreau were teammates for Team USA at the 2024 IIHF World Championships in Prague.
The funeral follows a week of memorials for the brothers, who were struck while riding their bikes in Salem County, New Jersey, on the night before their sister's wedding.
Hundreds of mourners poured into D'Anjolell Memorial Homes Sunday for a public visitation. Community members also gathered Friday at Gloucester Catholic High School, which both men attended and where Matthew Gaudreau later coached, for a private remembrance ceremony.
Pearl Jam honored the brothers during a concert in Philadelphia Saturday and sports teams from across the country paid tribute to the brothers in the wake of their deaths.
