Meredith Gaudreau Honors Memory of Cherished Dog: ‘Now with John’
Meredith Gaudreau is grieving the loss of her cherished dog as she approaches the two-year anniversary of her husband Johnny Gaudreau’s passing.
“My boy 🖤 is with John now,” Meredith expressed on Instagram on Tuesday, August 4. “So many beautiful memories, some of my absolute favorites 😘. Love you forever, my Kingy.”
She posted a series of photos capturing moments from the dog’s life, many of which included her late husband. Kingy was 10 years old.
NHL star Johnny, 31, along with his brother, Matthew Gaudreau, tragically lost their lives due to an alleged drunk driver while cycling the night before their sister Katie’s wedding on August 29, 2024.
Meredith received heartfelt messages of support from friends and followers, including Odette Werenski, the wife of Columbus Blue Jackets star and close friend of Johnny, Zach Werenski.
“Love you so much ❤️❤️ Kingy was the best and luckiest boy 🌈🫶🏻,” Odette shared.
Over the years, Meredith often shared how Kingy had become a protective figure for her expanding family.
“My baby boy with my baby girl 🖤🩷,” Meredith posted on Instagram in December 2023, featuring a photo of her dog and daughter, Noa.
Meredith and Johnny had Noa, 3, as well as sons Johnny Jr., 2, and Carter, 16 months.
“Level up protectiveness 🖤🖤,” she remarked on Instagram in December 2022, sharing photos of Kingy by her side soon after Noa’s arrival.
Meredith frequently celebrated Kingy’s birthday online. For his 5th birthday in October 2020, she wrote, “Love my Kingy more and more each second 🖤.”
When Kingy turned 3 in 2018, Meredith described him as “the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
In a heartfelt essay for The Players’ Tribune in June 2025, Meredith reminisced about how Kingy was there the first time Johnny entered her life.
“Do you remember the day we met? I do,” she wrote. “It was the summer of 2018 in Avalon. After a shift at the Children’s Hospital, I was sitting on the couch with Kingy at my feet. Do you recall how people thought he looked intimidating? I was exhausted in my sweats, and my sister was hosting a birthday party.”
Meredith continued, “People took one look at me and Kingy and headed upstairs. Then there was a knock on the door. I got up to answer it, and it was you. You had those sweet brown eyes, a fohawk, and you just looked at me for a moment. ‘Hey. I’m Johnny,’ you said.”
