National Hockey League star Johnny Gaudreau and his brother were killed in a car accident in New Jersey on Thursday night.

The Columbus Blue Jackets player – who was 31 – and his younger brother Matthew, 29, were riding their bicycles on a rural road in Oldsman Township when a car struck them, New Jersey police told the BBC.

The driver of the car, Sean Higgins, 43, has been arrested and charged with two counts of death by auto, according to officials.

In a statement, Gaudreau’s team called the incident an “unimaginable tragedy”.

“Johnny was not only a great hockey player, but more significantly a loving husband, father, son, brother and friend,” the Columbus Blue Jackets said.

Gaudreau’s brother Matthew was also a professional hockey player who previously played for the Reading Royals team in Pennsylvania.

The Gaudreau brothers were in New Jersey to attend their sister’s wedding on Friday in Philadelphia, where they were supposed to be groomsmen, according to the Columbus Dispatch, a local outlet.

Police said Mr Higgins hit the brothers with his car from behind as he attempted to pass two other vehicles on the road.

Mr Higgins was suspected of driving while under the influence of alcohol and is currently being held in the Salem County Correctional Facility, New Jersey police said.

Nicknamed “Johnny Hockey”, Gaudreau was the Blue Jackets’ forward who scored 243 goals over the course of his 11-year NHL career.

Johnny Gaudreau joined the Ohio team in 2022 after previously playing for the Calgary Flames in Canada.

Gaudreau “played the game with great joy which was felt by everyone that saw him on the ice”, the Columbus Blue Jackets said in their statement.

“He thrilled fans in a way only Johnny Hockey could,” the team added.