Alleged Johnny Gaudreau Killer Sean Higgins Faces Judge Again

Sean Higgins -- the man accused of killing Johnny Gaudreau and his little brother in a drunk driving crash last week -- just faced a judge again ... and his appearance this time around looked a bit different.

The 43-year-old, who popped up in a New Jersey courtroom on Thursday morning virtually, notably was no longer in an anti-suicide smock ... instead, he was seen in a simple orange jumpsuit. He also had a different facial hair style ... sporting a thick goatee.

The judge had been expected to make a ruling on Higgins' pretrial conditions at the hearing ... but the proceedings were postponed after just a few seconds.

Higgins is now slated to remain behind bars until his next meeting with the judge on Sept. 13.

This, of course, is the second time the public has seen Higgins in a courtroom since he allegedly crashed into the backs of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau 's bicycles on a rural roadway in Salem County on Aug. 29. He initially appeared on Aug. 30 -- and seemed dejected to learn his stay in jail would be longer than a few hours.

Higgins is currently facing two charges of death by auto after authorities say he admitted to cops that he drank "5-6 beers" before the accident.

Tributes for the Gaudreaus, meanwhile, are still pouring in ... as both the Calgary Flames and Columbus Blue Jackets -- Johnny's former teams -- held emotional candlelight vigils at their arenas on Wednesday night.