Meredith Gaudreau And Kristen Hayes are bonded over the shared trauma of losing their respective husbands, NHL stars Johnny Gaudreau And Jimmy Hayes.

After the memorial service for Johnny and his brother, Matthew GaudreauKristen took to Instagram to leave a supportive message for Meredith.

“I am so proud of you, Meredith. I am so glad I found the strength to speak at Jimmy’s service. Some days I don’t know how we do it, but we do it,” Kristen wrote on her Instagram story on Monday, September 9, posting a snapshot of Meredith’s speech. “I know every single emotion you are feeling today and every day after that. You are amazing.”

In response, Meredith shared the photo on her own Instagram story and wrote, “We are members of a club that no one wants to be in. I love you Kristen.”

Kristen’s late husband Jimmy died in August 2021 at the age of 31 from fentanyl and cocaine poisoning, a coroner said. Boston Globe I had previously had problems with painkillers and started taking them again due to an injury.

Late last month, it was revealed that Johnny and Matthew were struck and killed while out biking in Oldmans Township, New Jersey. Johnny was 31 and Matthew was 29 when they died.

We weekly confirmed that Johnny and Matthew were attacked by a 43-year-old Sean M. Higginswho was arrested and charged with two counts of vehicular manslaughter. He is suspected of being drunk at the time of the incident.

Higgins was driving behind two vehicles and “attempted to pass the slower moving sedan and SUV” when he “changed into the southbound lanes, passed the slower moving sedan and attempted to move back into the northbound lanes,” New Jersey State Police said. Us.

“The SUV in front of Higgins drove into the middle of the roadway, splitting the northbound and southbound lanes to safely pass the two cyclists who were traveling northbound on the right side of the road,” and that’s when the accident occurred. Johnny and Matthew were both struck “from behind” by Higgins.

Johnny and Matthew were to be witnesses in Sister Katie Gaudreau‘s wedding, which was to take place the next day. The vows have since been postponed. The brothers leave behind their parents and two sisters, as well as Johnny’s wife Meredith and Matthew’s wife Madeline.

During Monday’s memorial service, Meredith paid tribute to her late husband Johnny and announced that she is pregnant with their third child. (Meredith and Johnny share a daughter, Noa, 23 months, and a son, Johnny, 6 months.)

“We’re actually a family of five,” Meredith said during the eulogy. “I’m nine weeks pregnant with our third baby. A total surprise, but John was beaming again and so excited.”

Meredith is also expecting her and Matthew’s first child, a son they plan to name Tripp. “I’m so thankful that God gave us a child, little Matty, who will walk around for the rest of his life and carry on his legacy,” she said during her own speech on Monday. “Tripp will know how much his father loved him, and I promise to do all the things with him that we talked about.”