NHL star Johnny Gaudreau's brother Matthew pleads not guilty to charges in his death.
Sean Higgins, 44, rejected the prosecution's proposal of 35 years in prison.
On Tuesday, the man accused of driving his vehicle into and killing NHL star Johnny Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew, while they were biking, entered a not guilty plea, rejecting the prosecution's offer of 35 years in prison.
On Aug. 29, 2024, just one day before their sister's wedding, the Gaudreau brothers were killed while riding bikes near their childhood home.
Sean Higgins, 44, was arrested and charged with two counts of aggravated manslaughter, two counts of vehicular homicide, evidence tampering, and leaving the scene of an accident.
Higgins' blood alcohol level was found to be above New Jersey's legal limit to drive, and he failed a field sobriety test. Additionally, police stated that Higgins was driving aggressively, including speeding and weaving around other vehicles, before hitting the Gaudreaus.
Higgins' lawyers stated in a New Jersey court that they aim to demonstrate the incident was not caused by "malfeasance" but rather by "a unique set of unfortunate circumstances unlikely to happen again."
A trial is upcoming, but the date for Higgins' next court appearance has not been determined yet.
Johnny played in the NHL for 11 seasons, scoring 743 points (243 goals, 500 assists) across nine seasons with the Calgary Flames and two with the Columbus Blue Jackets. He was preparing to start his third season with the Blue Jackets.
In their home opener this season, the Blue Jackets honored Gaudreau with a remembrance, raising a banner and having members of his family present for a ceremonial puck drop.
In December, the Flames held an emotional pregame ceremony that included members of the Gaudreau family, following the Blue Jackets' lead, but waiting until they were in town for their game.
During his four years at Boston College, Matthew was a standout player. After college, he played for several teams, including the New York Islanders' AHL squad and the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.
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