Johnny Gaudreau's mom Jane shares touching quotes hours after attending court session of alleged drunk driver arrested for her sons' deaths

On Tuesday, late NHL stars Matthew and Johnny Gaudreau’s family were in attendance at a Salem County court hearing of the August 29th drunken-driving crash that killed the brothers. The accused driver, Sean Higgins, appeared at the arraignment hearing, where he formally rejected a plea deal offered by prosecutors.

Johnny Gaudreau’s mother, Jane, shared two emotional quotes on her Instagram stories hours after attending the hearing.

“Sometimes life is hard. Some days are very rough, and sometimes you just have to cry before you can move forward. … And that's okay”, read one of the quotes.

Image via Instagram/@jgaudreau311

Another quote, attributed to Patrick Stump, read:

“When you have a bad day - a really bad day - try and treat the world better than it treated you.”

Image via Instagram/@jgaudreau311

Sean Higgins has been in custody since his arrest on the night of the crash. He is accused of driving under the influence when he struck the Gaudreau brothers as they bicycled along a rural road in Oldmans Township, New Jersey.

Prosecutors proposed a plea agreement for Higgins to serve 35 years in prison by pleading guilty to aggravated manslaughter and leaving the scene of a fatal accident. However, Higgins rejected the deal, opting to proceed to trial, where he could face up to 30 years in prison for each aggravated manslaughter charge.

The hearing was brief, lasting about five minutes, and was attended by the Gaudreau family. The family lost both Johnny and Matthew just one day before they were to serve as groomsmen at their sister’s wedding.

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Johnny Gaudreau’s mother pens congratulatory message for Team USA

Earlier this week, Jane Gaudreau congratulated Team USA for their victory at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship. The team made history by winning back-to-back gold medals for the first time.

Teddy Stiga scored the game-winning goal in overtime, securing the win against Finland in the gold medal game. Team USA honored Johnny Gaudreau’s legacy throughout the tournament, dedicating a locker stall to his No. 13 jersey.

Jane Gaudreau shared her pride in Team USA’s achievement and congratulated them with a special message. She shared a picture of the team posing with Johnny's No. 13 jersey in the locker room after the victory and wrote:

“Congratulations Boys! ❤️🤍💙Team USA wins Gold. We know John is so happy and so proud!”

Johnny’s wife Meredith also posted a heartfelt message on her Instagram, alongside a photo of the team holding Johnny’s jersey in the locker room.