Columbus Blue Jackets star forward Johnny Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew, died Thursday night, the team said. Police said they were killed while biking Thursday night in Oldmans Township, New Jersey, close to their hometown in Salem County, New Jersey.

Gaudreau, 31, was the Blue Jackets’ top forward after signing in July 2022 as an unrestricted free agent from the Calgary Flames. According to a post on a popular wedding site, Gaudreau and his brother were scheduled to be groomsmen in their sister’s wedding Friday in Philadelphia. Gaudreau had two young children, a daughter, Noa, and son, Johnny, with his wife Meredith and both were born in Columbus.

How did Blue Jackets star Johnny Gaudreau die?

According to information provided by the New Jersey State Police, the Gaudreau brothers were killed after a suspected drunk driver crashed into them on a rural road. Matthew Gaudreau was 29.

Sean Higgins, the driver, was suspected of being under the influence of alcohol, and police charged him with two counts of death by auto and took him to the Salem County Correctional Facility. Authorities have not said when Higgins will make his initial court appearance.

All things Blue Jackets: Latest Columbus Blue Jackets news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.

According to New Jersey State Police, Higgins, 43, from Woodstown, New Jersey, was traveling north on a county road in a Jeep Grand Cherokee behind a sedan and SUV around 8:20 p.m. on Thursday evening.

Higgins tried to pass the slower-moving sedan and SUV, entered the southbound lanes, passed the slower-moving sedan, and tried to re-enter the northbound lanes, state troopers said. The SUV in front of Higgins moved to the middle of the roadway, splitting the north and south lanes to safely pass the Gaudreau brothers traveling north on the right side of the roadway.

Higgins then tried to pass the SUV on the right and struck the two bicyclists in the rear, the highway patrol said. As a result of the collision, the brothers suffered fatal injuries.

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Blue Jackets issue statement

‘The Columbus Blue Jackets are shocked and devastated by this unimaginable tragedy. Johnny was not only a great hockey player, but more significantly a loving husband, father, son, brother and friend. We extend our heartfelt sympathies to his wife, Meredith, his children, Noa and Johnny, his parents, their family and friends on the sudden loss of Johnny and Matthew. Johnny played the game with great joy, which was felt by everyone that saw him on the ice. He brought a genuine love for hockey with him everywhere he played, from Boston College to the Calgary Flames to Team USA to the Blue Jackets.

‘He thrilled fans in a way only Johnny Hockey could. The impact he had on our organization and our sport was profound, but pales in comparison to the indelible impression he made on everyone who knew him. Johnny embraced our community when he arrived two years ago and Columbus welcomed him with open arms. We will miss him terribly and do everything that we can to support his family and each other through this tragedy. At this time, we ask for prayers for the Gaudreau family and that their privacy be respected as they grieve.’

A Blue Jackets spokesman said the team will not be making any further comments until a later date.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman issues statement

“The National Hockey League family is shocked and saddened by the tragic passing of Columbus Blue Jackets forward Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew. While Johnny’s infectious spirit for the game and show-stopping skills on the ice earned him the nickname ‘Johnny Hockey,’ he was more than just a dazzling hockey player; he was a doting father and beloved husband, son, brother and teammate who endeared himself to every person fortunate enough to have crossed his path.

‘Gaudreau often told the story of how his father taught him to skate as a child in his home state of New Jersey and he carried that same youthful passion throughout his 11 NHL seasons. A skilled playmaker, Gaudreau participated in the NHL All-Star Game seven times where he was always a fan favorite, particularly while showcasing his talents in the various skills competitions for which he was so well suited.

“He will be remembered fondly in Calgary, where he played his first nine seasons with the Flames from 2013-14 to 2021-22, emerging as one of our League’s brightest young stars while compiling the franchise’s fifth-highest career points total. His loss also will be felt profoundly in Columbus, the city in which he chose to settle his family and where he was one of the respected, veteran leaders of a club building toward the playoffs. And both Johnny and Matthew will be mourned at Boston College, where they were teammates the year Johnny won the Hobey Baker Award in 2013-14, and at Gloucester Catholic High School in New Jersey, where both played and where Matthew was the head hockey coach following his own five-year pro playing career.

“We send our most heart-felt condolences to his wife Meredith; their children, Noa and Johnny; his parents, Guy and Jane; and sisters Kristen and Katie. And we grieve alongside his teammates, members of the Blue Jackets and Flames organizations, his many friends in hockey and countless fans around the world for whom he created indelible memories on and off the ice.”

NHL Players’ Association executive director Marty Walsh issues statement

“The NHLPA joins the hockey community in mourning the tragic loss of Johnny Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew. Johnny was a beloved teammate and friend in both Calgary and Columbus, and he was a joy to watch during his 10 years and 763 games in the NHL. He enjoyed a decorated college career at Boston College where he played together with his brother, Matthew, who also went on to play professional hockey in the AHL and ECHL. The players and staff of the NHLPA are devastated by these​ terrible losses. We express our sincerest condolences to the entire Gaudreau family –​ Johnny’s wife, Meredith, and their children, Noa and Johnny; Matthew’s wife, Madeline; their parents, Guy and Jane; and their sisters, Kristen and Katie.” 

Gaudreau’s hockey legacy

Gaudreau’s death happened three years after Blue Jackets goalie Matiss Kivlenieks was killed in a fireworks incident on July 4, 2021 in Novi, Michigan, at the home of Manny Legacy, the team’s former goalie coach.

After two disappointing seasons on the ice, Gaudreau went into this summer with the intention of having a rebound year powered by his offseason training. That included playing for the United States in May at the men’s world championships in Czechia. Gaudreau impressed with three goals, eight assists and 11 points in eight games to finish third on the team in scoring and he tied for fourth in the tournament.

He also led the Blue Jackets with 12-48-60 in 81 games last season, the second year in a row Gaudreau led the team in points, but it was a 14-point drop from his first season in Columbus (2022-23). It was also 55 points lower than Gaudreau’s final season in Calgary, which preceded his surprising decision in July 2022 to sign a seven-year deal with the Blue Jackets worth $68.25 million.

The move was criticized across the NHL, especially in Calgary, but Gaudreau never wavered in his primary reason behind picking the Blue Jackets. He and Meredith wanted to raise their kids in Columbus, which is closer to their families in New Jersey. Gaudreau was also impressed by Blue Jackets fans, who showed up in large numbers the past two years despite a mountain of losses.

His goal was to give them more to cheer about, and that challenge got a boost July 1 with the Blue Jackets signing center Sean Monahan, a close friend and former Flames teammate. Heading toward training camp, new coach Dean Evason appeared to have two of his three forward spots filled on the top line with Gaudreau at left wing and Monahan in the middle. Now, a week after trading Patrik Laine to the Montreal Canadiens, there’s a large void of proven elite wingers and a much bigger emptiness in the hearts and minds of Gaudreau’s family, teammates and all those who knew him.

CHICAGO — That sound the Phoenix Mercury heard was Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever zooming past them in the playoff race.

Clark scored a season-high 31 points, one better than her previous mark, and the Fever moved up to sixth place in the eight-team playoff field with a 100-81 win over the Chicago Sky on Friday night. Though they have an identical 16-16 record as the Mercury, the tiebreak is head-to-head meetings and the Fever swept their three games against Phoenix this season.

‘It’s honestly impressive how we started the season and, now, sitting at sixth place with eight games left,’ Clark said, referring to Indiana’s 1-8 start. ‘But you have to continue to execute down the stretch.’

There is a lot of the season left, of course. But given how Indiana started the season, and the favorable schedule they have over the remaining three weeks, Clark and the Fever have to feel pretty good about where they stand. Only three of the Fever’s last eight games are against teams with winning records, and only two are on the road.

The Fever haven’t made the playoffs since 2016, when Clark was a freshman in high school.

While Clark and the Fever have played to sold-out crowds almost everywhere this season, Friday night’s game was something special. The rivalry between Clark’s Fever and Angel Reese’s Sky has developed into one of the WNBA’s best this season, and the interest reflected it.

WNBA legend Sue Bird and Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal were on hand, as were players from the Chicago Bulls and Bears. With an average price of $334 as of Thursday morning, it was the most expensive game in WNBA history, according to TickPick.

Knowing the interest there’d be for this game, the Sky used it to host the WNBA’s first Barbie-themed night.

But Clark and the Fever spoiled the party with their lopsided win. It was Indiana’s third victory in a row and fifth in its last six games. It also gave the Fever the season series over Chicago, having won three of their four meetings.

‘We wanted to win the season series with them, that was kind of a focus point,’ Clark said. ‘Last time here, we were up 15 in fourth quarter and kind of fumbled it away. So it was another opportunity for us to come in here and show what we’re about. And I thought we were really good.

‘And, honestly, I just had a lot of fun playing. I thought we played with a lot of joy.’

Caitlin Clark stats

Clark finished with 31 points, her third 30-point game of her rookie season. She was 8 of 14 from the floor, including 5 of 9 from 3-point range. She also had 12 assists, giving her an 11th double-double on the season. She’s also had a triple-double.

But the stat that will surely please Clark the most is her three turnovers. That’s just one off her season low.

‘She did an excellent job taking care of the ball,’ Fever coach Christie Sides said. ‘That’s just the growth. That’s things we weren’t doing earlier. And now she’s recognizing those things.’

Indiana’s next game is Sunday, at the Dallas Wings.

However, the 11-time Olympic medalist is also growing familiar with the MLB pitching mound. On Friday, Biles threw out the first pitch ahead of the Houston Astros’ game against the Kansas City Royals. Biles, who grew up in Spring, Texas, in the Houston metropolitan area, was among the Houston-area Olympians honored Friday. However, she got another opportunity to throw out a first pitch.

Sporting a light-blue Houston hat, a navy blue Astros jersey with the number 24 on the back, and white boots, Biles fired a ball over the plate at Minute Maid Park. It was a straight-up first pitch, without any gymnastics moves, as she had previously done when throwing out a first pitch. She did, however, stick the landing.

The seven-time gold medalist had thrown out the first pitch in 2016 and 2019. Biles has also been spotted on the sideline at Chicago Bears’ preseason games, rooting on husband Jonathan Owens.

Follow every MLB game: Latest MLB scores, stats, schedules and standings.

Simone Biles’ prior first pitches

Ahead of a game against the Seattle Mariners, Biles performed a flip before firing off a pitch to home plate.

Ahead of Game 2 of the 2019 World Series, Biles pulled a twisting somersault and backflip in front of the mound before grabbing a ball and firing it to home plate.

BOULDER, Colo. – Colorado football coach Deion Sanders opened his post-game news conference Thursday night by issuing an apology. But it wasn’t because of how his team played in a 31-26 win at home against North Dakota State.

Instead, he was just hot after the air-conditioning had been turned off.

“They have the propensity to turn the air off to save some money,” Sanders said. “I don’t know why we try to save money unless we’re broke around here. But now it’s hot, right? I apologize on behalf of the university. We can do better than that.”

Sanders then told everybody how he really felt – not just hot but bothered over how close his team came to another collapse at the end.

“You ever felt like you won but you didn’t win?” he asked.

That’s kind of how it went Thursday to start Sanders’ second season at Colorado. After a hot start on offense, the Buffaloes almost should have apologized for something much more careless – bizarre time management down the stretch and another slip-up by the defense. Otherwise, Colorado got two more explosive performances from their two biggest stars: quarterback Shedeur Sanders and two-way star Travis Hunter.

Shedeur Sanders, son of Deion, completed 26 of 34 passes for 445 yards and four touchdowns, including three to Hunter in front of 49,438 fans at Folsom Field. The win snaps a six-game losing streak for all of them dating to last year.

Deion Sanders still indicated the close call at the end was at least partly due to his quarterback son’s desire to get cute and launch long passes instead of running the ball to run out the clock.

“I’m just reminding him of the darn clock,” Deion Sanders said. “ I say, `You see that big thing up there? That’s the clock. Those numbers up there running down like that? That’s for you, OK? Look at that.”

What else did Deion Sanders say?

He said 31 NFL scouts had come to see his team.

“They saw what they came to see,” he said.

He also noted Colorado is one step closer to one of its goals this season – a bowl game appearance to honor Colorado’s 99-year-old superfan, Peggy Coppom.

Yet this one still almost ended in disaster against a team from the lower Football Championship Subdivision. Colorado held a 31-20 lead after a spectacular 3-yard touchdown catch from Hunter with 7:57 remaining.

All the Buffs had to do after that was hold the fort on defense.

They didn’t. Instead they allowed a 20-yard touchdown run from Bison quarterback Cam Miller to cut Colorado’s lead to 31-26 with 2:19 left. The Bison’s scoring drive went 75 yards in 11 plays and lasted 5:38..

“Let’s move on,” Deion Sanders said. “I’m gonna try my best to hold back my anger, but we got the W so I’m happy.”

What about that time management at the end?

Colorado had two timeouts with 2:19 left as it started its final drive on its own 25-yard line. But Shedeur Sanders threw four passes instead of running the ball to drain the clock. One of those came on first down with 1:41 left – a long pass on the left side of the field intended for receiver LaJohntay Wester. It fell incomplete and stopped the clock with 1:34 remaining.

Shedeur’s father said afterward that his son was trying to show some love to Wester after two other Colorado receivers already had big games − Hunter and Jimmy Horn Jr., who had seven catches for 198 yards and a touchdown.

“Shedeur is such a good kid; sometimes it costs him, because at the end of the game we just want to run the ball (and) let’s get out of here,” Deion Sanders said. “And he took a shot to LaJohntay because he wanted LaJohntay to have a big play … and he knew he was gonna have a one-on-one matchup. He just didn’t put it out there far enough. But that’s his character. I’m like, ‘Dawg. C’mon dawg. Not right now. It’s not time to be the good guy right now. It’s time to … put this game away.”

The incompletion intended for Wester came on the next play after Wester drew a pass-interference penalty on another long pass attempt. Fortunately for the Buffs, the penalty gave them a first down. But the drive eventually stalled and the Buffs punted back to the Bison, who fielded it at their own 4-yard line with 31 seconds remaining.

North Dakota State then ran six plays for 88 yards, culminating with a Hail Mary from Miller as time expired. The pass worked – to an extent. Miller’s 49-yard pass was caught by receiver Tyler Terhark. It just didn’t go far enough, with Terhark coming down at the 4-yard line as the crowd at Folsom Field held its breath.

What did Shedeur Sanders say about the time management?

Shedeur Sanders acknowledged afterward he needed to manage the clock better.

“Everything in my life, I always was able learn from it,” Shedeur Sanders said. “So it’s not too many mistakes you’re going to see me I made twice. So that’s just something I’m going to learn and understand that. And even if it looks super tempting… still, you just gotta go with it. So it’s a lot of situations like play clock and everything that we’re getting back into the flow of the game. But I’m just excited about the starting point and excited about getting everybody involved.”

His father indicated he already talked to him about it and also downplayed concerns about the running game and offensive line, both sore spots from last year, when the Buffs finished 4-8 and ranked last in the nation in rushing yards per game with 68.9. On Thursday, five Colorado players combined for 59 rushing yards on 23 carries. Shedeur Sanders was sacked only once but often still felt pressure from crumbling pass protection.

‘You would love to run the ball a little more, but shoot, when you got over 500 yards of total offense, I’m pretty good,’ Deion Sanders said. ‘I go home (and) I’m gonna sleep good, really good… so I’m cool with that. We would like to see a little more balance, but what is balance? Balance is wins, really. That’s what balance is.’

About that Colorado defense

North Dakota State led 20-17 at halftime after scoring on each of its first four possessions. It looked like the Buffs defense from last year even though they overhauled the roster and brought in several promising defenders, especially on the defensive line. The difference this time came after halftime.

‘Coach chewed us out at halftime, let us know what we got to do,’ said Hunter, who had three tackles. ‘We got to stop them. We got to get stops.’

The Bison punted on their first two possessions in the second half and could have suffered a shutout after halftime if not for that one letdown by Colorado’s defense.

Colorado next plays at Nebraska on Sept. 7.

“We got a target on our back,” Hunter said. “. We got to go out and win. We gotta make a statement. We gotta let everybody know we’re here to stay.’

Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com

NEW YORK — Frances Tiafoe weathered a Ben Shelton storm in a captivating all-American blockbuster to win 4-6, 7-5, 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-3 and move into the last 16 of the US Open on Friday.

Both players have had semifinal runs at Flushing Meadows in the past and it was the electric Tiafoe who prevailed in a four-hour battle in what was a repeat of last year’s quarterfinal matchup, where the younger Shelton had won in four sets.

The two players are good pals off the court but set their friendship aside and after Shelton promised a ‘war,’ the clash lived up to its billing, bringing the crowd to its feet on several points and rallies as the match went the distance.

Shelton, who held a 2-0 head-to-head record going into the contest, fired 23 aces and 63 winners but ultimately Tiafoe exacted revenge and earned a fourth-round clash with either defending champion Novak Djokovic or Alexei Popyrin.

Coco Gauff wins

Defending champion Coco Gauff was tested early but righted the ship in time to secure a spot in the last 16 at the US Open with a confidence-boosting 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 victory over plucky Ukrainian Elina Svitolina on Friday.

Third seed Gauff, who conceded just six games across the opening two rounds in New York, faced her toughest test yet against Svitolina but managed to raise her game to a higher level as the match wore on.

‘I knew today was going to be a tough match. Every time I play Elina, she’s a fighter, and yeah, I knew I had to bring my best tennis,’ Gauff said during her on-court interview.

‘I thought I played well, I served much better than last match, except the last service game, but overall I’m proud of what I was able to do.’

Gauff did well to swat aside a pair of early break points and reach 2-2 but Svitolina, the 27th seed, kept pressuring the American and broke at love for a 5-3 lead before serving out a set in which she won the final 11 points to grab control.

But Svitolina was unable to maintain her aggressive start and suddenly began playing more defensively while Gauff managed to wake up the rather subdued crowd when she broke for a 4-2 lead before going on to serve out the second set.

Gauff, who arrived at US Open eager to bounce back from a run of disappointing results, saved her best tennis for the decider, which she opened with a break.

In the next game, Gauff won a lung-bursting 37-shot rally en route to grabbing 2-0 lead and went on to establish a 4-1 double break cushion.

With a chance to serve out the match, Gauff threw Svitolina a lifeline as she squandered a 40-love lead but the American struck back the next game with a break at love, closing out the match when her opponent netted a forehand.

Kansas City Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino will miss the rest of the regular season with a broken thumb after a bizarre play in Thursday night’s game that also injured ace reliever Lucas Erceg.

The Royals announced Friday morning that Pasquantino, 26, is expected to miss six to eight weeks with a broken right thumb. Further testing will be done Friday, the team said on social media.

In the eighth inning of a 6-3 loss to the host Houston Astros, Erceg was injured when he tried to field a hard-hit chopper by Yainer Diaz back to the mound with his bare hand. On that same play, Pasquantino’s attempt to field the throw forced his arm into the runner’s lane, where he collided with Diaz.

Both players were immediately removed from the game.

Drafted by Kansas City in the 11th round in 2019, Pasquantino, 26, played parts of the past two seasons in the majors before settling in as the No. 3 hitter in the Royals lineup for most of this season. He is batting .262 with 19 home runs and 97 RBIs and has a career batting average of .267 with 38 homers and 149 RBIs.

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Lionel Messi has been ruled out for Inter Miami’s road match Saturday against the Chicago Fire, despite coach Tata Martino saying there was a chance Messi could travel for the game.

Messi has yet to be medically cleared to return from the right ankle ligament injury he suffered during the Copa America final on July 14, but he did return to practice with teammates this week.

Messi was listed as out for the Chicago match on the MLS player status report, released Friday evening. Inter Miami faces the Chicago Fire at 8:30 p.m. ET Saturday at Solider Field.

“Well, (Messi is) getting better and still hasn’t been medically cleared. But we’ll determine today if he can travel to Chicago or not,” Martino said earlier Friday.

How to watch Inter Miami vs. Chicago Fire match?

The Inter Miami match against the Chicago Fire begins at 8:30 p.m. ET Saturday, and will be broadcast on MLS Season Pass via Apple TV.

Will Messi play vs. Chicago Fire?

No, Messi will not play in Chicago. He’ll be out.

Has Messi recovered from his ankle injury?

Martino said Messi has continued to improve from his ankle injury in the last 6-7 weeks.

“For several weeks now, he’s been training with the ball, starting first with the medical team and physical trainers, and then gradually integrating some parts of training with the group. We’re in that situation right now,” Martino said Friday.

Is Messi coming back too fast from injury?

Messi did appear to favor his ankle during Friday’s practice, a sign he may not yet be ready to return to action. But his practice participation continues to signal his return is imminent.

Inter Miami’s next match is Sept. 14 against the Philadelphia Union, which could be a more likely possibility for Messi’s return from injury.

“There are matters that are discussed a lot with him, and it depends on how he’s feeling. It’s an injury that’s lasted over six weeks, so we need to stay calm and be absolutely sure,” Martino said of Messi’s injury.

PARIS − Twenty-one-year-old sprinter Korban Best from Southlake, Texas, officially became a made man in the Paralympic world inside the Stade de France Friday night. In his Paralympic debut, he recorded a personal-best-time of 10.75 seconds in the T47 100-meter dash.

Best showcased his exceptional speed and personality on the track and will be going home with a silver medal.

Best’s journey to Paralympic glory has been long in the making. Born with ulnar dysplasia in his right arm, he discovered a passion for running and soon realized he had a gift. His dedication and hard work have paid off, as he has become an up-and-coming star for the U.S. Paralympics track and field team.

Best has been known to dance before his races and his goofy personality combined with his jittery quickness and small frame has earned him the nickname ‘Baby Bro’ by his teammates.

“I’m everyone’s little bro,” Best said. “I’m the annoying little brother. I’m always poking fun at people, making jokes, dancing when I’m not supposed to or giving coach a whole bunch of junk, but that’s just me being light hearted and fun and bringing the energy to practice everyday.”

2024 Paris Olympics: Follow USA TODAY’s coverage of the biggest names and stories of the Games.

Best only got better throughout the day. He tied a personal best in the preliminary heat with a time of 10.78 seconds.

In the final, he got off to a ripping start, leading the pack to begin the race before Brazil’s Petrucio Ferreira dos Santos won in 10.68.

“I feel great,” Best said after the race. “Stepping on the world stage and causing a ripple effect like i did for my first year in Para was absolutely astronomical. I wanted gold. Silver’s the next best thing and we’re going to come back in LA and win at home.”

In his short time with Team USA, he has formed strong bonds with his teammates, and his positive attitude and leadership qualities have inspired others to strive for excellence.

While winning a medal is an incredible individual achievement for Best, he knows that it takes a great team to get him where he is today.

“The people at the Chula Vista, the athletes and the staff have welcomed me with open arms,” Best said of his training center.  “They’ve shown me the ropes with everything and have guided me throughout this whole process. So, I definitely say I can’t do it alone because I had a really great support team behind me.”

Jaleeen Roberts falls just short of a medal

On the women’s side, Jaleen Roberts ran a season-best time of 27.99 in the T37 200, but fell just short of the podium, four tenths of a second behind bronze medalist Fenfen Jiang, who crossed at 27.55. China’s Xiaoyan Wen won in 25.86.

“Even though I didn’t medal, it was still pretty good for my confidence,” Roberts said. “I still didn’t expect to do as well as I did. So, I can’t complain, can’t be greedy, just feels good to be back in a Paralympic stadium that allowed me to shake my nerves.”

Taylor Swanson also competed in the race and had a devastating finish, tripping just short of the finish line. She crossed the line to applause from the crowd.