Johnny Gaudreau was just 31-years-old.
His younger brother Matthew was 29.
Anytime anyone that young has their life tragically cut short is heartbreaking.
It doesn’t matter if they’re a professional athlete, celebrity, public figure, or anything.
But what makes deaths like these so soul shattering is the fact that it feels like everybody knew them.
He played with an infectious smile that was stapled to his face every time he touched the ice.
Sure, his skill was exciting and entertaining to watch.
But it was that smile that made him such a special player to root for.
The same exact way everybody else who ever wore a pair of skates felt when we were kids ourselves.
And that’s where it’s impossible to put into words just how devastating this loss truly is.
Two beautiful children just lost their father and uncle on the same night.
None of it makes sense right now, and I doubt it ever fully will.
It makes you feel numb with an overwhelming weight of sadness for everybody involved.
This one hurts like crazy and it’s going to take some time for everybody to grieve.
But if they were, drunk driving needs to carry a life sentence.
