Blue Jackets and Flames announce public plans for Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau memorial

Both the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Calgary Flames have announced plans for a candle-light vigil on Wednesday in memorial of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau.

For fans in Columbus, Ohio:

The Columbus Blue Jackets invite fans to a candlelight vigil in remembrance of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau on Wednesday, September 4 at 7:30 p.m. ET. The vigil will be held on the Front Street Plaza outside the east entrance to Nationwide Arena.

The vigil will include brief remarks from the Blue Jackets organization, as well as 13:21 of silent remembrance reflecting the number 13 Johnny wore with the Blue Jackets, Calgary Flames and Boston College and the number 21 that Matthew wore at Boston College.

For fans in Calgary, Alberta:

As Calgary and the hockey community continue to mourn the passing of Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew, the Flames are inviting fans to come together for a Candlelight Vigil on Wednesday, September 4th.

The vigil will take place outside the west entrance of the Scotiabank Saddledome at the memorial created by Flames fans, since hearing of the tragic deaths of Johnny and Matthew.

The Candlelight Vigil will be Day 1 of a 13-day observance for fans to continue to visit the memorial and pay tribute to Johnny and Matthew.

WHO: Flames fans and special guests
WHAT: Candlelight Vigil for Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau
WHERE: Scotiabank Saddledome (West Stairs & Surrounding Area)
WHEN: Wednesday, September 4th (8:00pm MT)

Event Description:

The event is expected to be 45 minutes and will include a 13-minute vigil for Johnny & Matthew with accompanying speakers from the Flames.

• Program Begins: 8:00pm
• Speakers
• Sunset: 8:14pm
• 13 minute vigil begins shortly after sunset
• Program Ends: 8:45pm

Memorial site:

In preparation for the tribute and with a concert at the Scotiabank Saddledome tonight, we have relocated a portion of the mementos that have been dedicated in homage to Johnny & Matthew on the west stairs. Moving forward, we encourage fans to use the grassy area immediately to the north of the stairs as the memorial.

Candles:

The “candlelight” portion of the vigil will be a special digital candle that will be available to attendees on their smartphones via the Calgary Flames app.

Plan your trip:

Stampede Trail will be closed for this event between 14th Ave SE and 17th Ave SE (extension).

Public Parking:

Use 11th Ave Lot (north) and Stampede parking lots can be accessed via 25th Ave only. Pass holder parking is available for season ticket members.

Public Transit - Use Erlton & Victoria stations.

Live Stream:

A live stream of the Candlelight Vigil and a digital memory book will be available right here on CalgaryFlames.com and the Flames app.

Read below for our earlier report on Gaudreau's alleged killer Sean Higgins.

According to a repot from CNN, Sean Higgins, the New Jersey man accused of killing NHL star Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew Gaudreau while driving drunk, has been removed from his position by his employer Gaudenzia.

The sickening thing? Higgins, who admitted to having '5 or 6 beers' prior to driving, worked at an alcohol and addiction treatment center. By their own account Gaudenzia is one of the largest nonprofit substance and co-occurring disorders treatment centers in the USA with 51 locations on the east coast. Higgins reportedly worked directly with patients seeking to overcome their addictions. It's almost cliche for me to point out the dark irony in this all...

CNN also reports that Higgins was an active member of New Jersey's National Guard and served time with the US Army in Kosovo in 2019. He was promoted to Major during his stint in the developing country.