Meredith Gaudreau shared a touching tribute to her late husband, NHL star Johnny Gaudreau, who was killed alongside his brother in a suspected drunken driving incident this week.
In an Instagram post on Saturday, Gaudreau shared a slideshow of photos of her and her husband, writing in the post’s caption that their time together had been “the best years” of her life.
“Despite losing you, I am still the luckiest girl in the world to have been yours,” she wrote. “I love you so so much. You were perfect. Some days it felt too good to be true. I love every single thing about you.”
“You are my forever and I can’t wait to be with you again. I love you so much forever and ever,” she continued.
In a separate post, Gaudreau praised the late hockey player as a great dad, saying he “never missed a single appointment.”
Johnny and Meredith Gaudreau wed in 2021 and share two children: a nearly 2-year-old daughter, Noa, and a son, Johnny, who was born in February.
Johnny and his brother, Matthew Gaudreau, who also played hockey professionally, were both riding bicycles in Oldmans Township in New Jersey on Thursday when a driver believed to be under the influence of alcohol struck them from behind while attempting to pass other vehicles, New Jersey State Police said.
The driver, Sean Higgins, was charged on two counts of death by automobile along with reckless driving, possession of an open container and consuming alcohol in a motor vehicle, police said.
Johnny Gaudreau was 31 and his brother was 29. The two were set to serve as groomsmen in their sister Katie’s wedding, which was scheduled for Friday, according to The Associated Press.
Johnny Gaudreau signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2022.
On Friday, the team released a statement on X, formerly Twitter, mourning his death.
“Johnny was not only a great hockey player, but more significantly a loving husband, father, son, brother and friend,” the statement read.