Former Teammate Shares Emotional Reaction to Johnny Gaudreau's Death

NHL forward Kevin Hayes shared an emotional message on his social media in response to his friend Johnny Gaudreau's death.

Feb 13, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; St. Louis Blues forward Kevin Hayes (12) carries the puck against the Toronto Maple Leafs during the second period Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports / John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

The death of Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew has sent a tidal wave of grief throughout the hockey world. While his family and closest friends mourn his passing, countless media outlets, professional athletes from the NBA, MLB, and NFL, and fans are sharing their thoughts, memories, and condolences.

Pittsburgh Penguins' forward Kevin Hayes was a dear friend of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau. In response to the news of Gaudreau's death, he shared some brief words and emotional photos of Johnny to his Instagram story.

He shared a photo of Matthew in one post with the caption "RIP Matty G." He also shared a photo of Johnny with his nephew Beau. The photo is of the pair playing as Hayes shares a message of love for his friend.

"Love you John!" he wrote. "Say hello to Beau's Dad for me"

The Gaudreau's and Hayes' brothers have a long history and friendship together, with their relationship going back to before any of them played a game in the NHL. Kevin, Johnny, Matthew, and Kevin's brother Jimmy all played hockey for the Boston College Eagles. Kevin and Johnny played the most time together, but Kevin also played a season with both Gaudreau's on the roster during his and Johnny's final college seasons. Back in 2019, Hayes said this before playing Gaudreau and the Calgary Flames in a regular season contest.

"He's (Gaudreau) one of my best friends," Hayes said. "Not even within hockey, just within my life."

Their friendship continued into their NHL careers and off the ice. Jimmy Hayes also tragically passed in 2021, and the two families remained close over the last few years. Johnny was even a groomsmen in Kevin's wedding last summer, which is where the photo Kevin posted came from. It's been a very emotionally difficult time for Kevin and the Hayes family over the last few years, as he now must cope with the grief and trauma of losing two people close to him at incredibly young ages. Our thoughts are with him, his family, and the Gaudreau family during this difficult time.

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