This week has been a whirlwind of emotions for the family of the late hockey stars Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau. Their sister, Katie, and her husband shared the joyous news that they are expecting their first child.

Amid the festivities at the Winter Olympics in Milan, the Gaudreau family gathered to pay tribute to Johnny, a former NHL star. He was posthumously honored on the ice after Team USA clinched a gold-medal victory against Canada on Sunday. Meredith, Johnny’s widow, participated in the celebration by bringing two of their three children onto the ice, where they joined Team USA in reveling in the triumph.

In a tragic twist of fate, Johnny and his brother Matthew, who had played for Boston College, lost their lives in a biking accident in rural New Jersey. This occurred just before Katie’s planned wedding in 2024. In light of the tragedy, Katie and her high school sweetheart, Devin Joyce, postponed their nuptials to 2025. The couple, now eagerly anticipating their new addition, shared their excitement through an Instagram post on Thursday.

‘Our favorite news to share,’ Katie captioned the black-and-white video showing the couple embracing as she dangled an array of ultrasound images from her hand.

The announcement coincided with the trial of Sean Higgins, the man accused of causing the fatal accident that claimed the lives of Katie’s brothers in 2024. Higgins, 45, is currently on trial in New Jersey.

Higgins’ defense team is challenging the police’s handling of the case, particularly questioning the validity of the toxicology reports used to charge him. They are pushing for the case to be dismissed and brought before a grand jury once more.

Johnny (right) and Matthew (left) were killed on the eve of their sister Katie’s (center) wedding 

Katie and Devin Joyce, her high school sweetheart, postponed the ceremony until 2025 and are now expecting their first child, according to Thursday’s Instagram post

‘Our favorite news to share,’ Katie captioned the black-and-white video showing the couple embracing as she dangled an array of ultrasound images from her hand

Authorities have reported that Higgins showed signs of alcohol consumption at the time of his arrest, with state troopers noting the smell of alcohol on his breath. Higgins acknowledged having consumed ‘beers’ earlier, though he insisted that he had not drunk anything in the two hours leading up to the accident.

This week, Higgins’ lawyers argued that his blood alcohol concentration level was actually below the legal limit when he collided with the Gaudreau brothers.

The motion was introduced Tuesday during a virtual hearing before Salem County Superior Court Judge Michael Silvanio, marking a major shift in the ongoing trial.

‘It seems that it was plasma that was tested, not whole blood,’ defense attorney Richard Klineburger said, according to multiple reports. ‘Based upon our expert report, that brings the actual BAC reading down to .075’.

Previously, prosecutors had claimed that Higgins’s BAC reading was .087. New Jersey’s Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) limit for drivers is 0.08 percent.

Klineburger later suggested that the previous reading ‘taints’ the indictment and said the alleged discrepancy could have ‘impacted the grand jury’ over their decision.

Prosecutor Michael Mestern said he will now run the findings by his own team of experts. Should they find the new claims to be true, then prosecutors will be able to try and get a new indictment against Higgins.

Higgins is expected to back in court on April 14.

Bodycam clips showed the moment Sean Higgins was arrested in Salem County, New Jersey

Higgins claimed he was attempting to pass a slower car, but the driver moved into the oncoming traffic lane, forcing him back into the original lane, where he then hit the cyclists 

As previously reported by the New York Post, New Jersey police alleged that a ‘frantic’ Higgins admitted to hitting the pair shortly before his arrest.

New Jersey State Police Sergeant Kenenth Flanegan testified that Higgins told him, ‘I hit them,’ at the scene.

In a clip from the cops’ bodycam footage, Higgins is heard asking trooper Zachary Harding: ‘Is anybody dead back there?’

Higgins claimed he was attempting to pass a slower car, but the driver moved into the oncoming traffic lane, forcing him back into the original lane, where he then hit the two cyclists.

The defendant previously rejected a 35-year-sentence plea deal and pleaded not guilty to his charges of reckless vehicular homicide and aggravated manslaughter.