Another difficult loss for the Gaudreau family.
The wife of the late NHL player Johnny Gaudreau, Meredith Gaudreau, posted on Instagram to announce Kingy’s passing. Her message was short yet incredibly moving, featuring a collection of priceless pictures showing the dog and Johnny throughout their time together.
“Through it all my lad,” Meredith penned. “With John right now. There are so many fantastic photographs, some of my favourites among them. I adore you eternally, my Kingy.”
Kingy had allegedly been a member of Johnny and Meredith’s lives much before the birth of their three children. The dog was a constant friend throughout the couple’s time together and appeared in a lot of family photos over the years.
The loss has a significance that extends beyond the death of a pet for individuals who have been acquainted with the Gaudreau family’s narrative. Kingy was yet another surviving reminder of the life Meredith and Johnny once shared, a life that was wrecked in August 2024 when Johnny, then 31, and his younger brother Matthew, then 29, were hit and killed by an alleged drunk driver while biking the evening before their sister Katie’s wedding.
The family has spent the time since that disaster remembering both brothers through a new generation. Madeline, Matthew’s widow, gave birth to a son called Tripp Matthew in December 2024. Meredith gave birth to Carter Michael, the couple’s third kid, in April of 2025. The couple just had their first kid, Matthew Guy Joyce, in a direct nod to Katie’s deceased brother.
Meredith posted another emotional message on Father’s Day, calling Johnny “the finest spouse” and “my life partner forever,” along with a photo of baby Carter in his crib surrounded by images of his father.
How much the hockey community still values the Gaudreau family was shown by the internet’s response to Kingy’s demise. The layered anguish of losing something so intimately linked to the life Meredith formerly knew was acknowledged by supporters and fans, who reacted with a deluge of sympathy.
We can only offer our sympathy and sincere condolences to the Gaudreau family, who keep Johnny and Matthew’s memory alive even as each new farewell serves as a reminder of everything they lost.
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