The man accused of killing Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau has pleaded not guilty.
Sean Higgins, 44, was charged with two counts of aggravated manslaughter, two counts of vehicular homicide, as well as evidence tampering, and leaving the scene of an accident.
According to ESPN, Higgins appeared in a Salem County, New Jersey court for a brief hearing on Tuesday. He pleaded not guilty after turning down an offer from prosecutors that would have seen him go to prison for 35 years.
In a statement, prosecutors argued that Higgins had a history of aggressive driving, and that it was during one of his fits of rage that the incident took place. They also drew attention to the fact that he was driving under the influence of alcohol at the time.
Defence lawyers, on the other hand, claimed that Higgins' alleged actions were not "malfeasance," rather, "a combination of uniquely unfortunate circumstances unlikely to ever occur again."
The Gaudreau brothers were killed on August 30 while out for a bike ride in Oldmans Township, New Jersey, near their hometown. Higgins was arrested a short time later.
Since then, the family has received an outpouring of support, largely from the hockey community. The Columbus Blue Jackets and Calgary Flames, where Johnny spent the bulk of his career, both went above and beyond for the Gaudreaus.