Matt Duchene reveals heartbreaking truth behind his 'maintenance day'

The term 'maintenance day' has become all too common in the National Hockey League and in fact it has become common place to use that terminology as a way to mask or cover up what is really going on.

It would now appear that this was the case when it comes to Dallas Stars forward Matt Duchene this week who took a maintenance day away from the team, but in reality was dealing with something much more profound.

It was Duchene himself who would come clean about his motivations for briefly stepping away from the team when he published a heartbreaking video on social media to announce the passing of his dog, Paisley. While the loss of a beloved pet is always tragic, this one will no doubt be particularly difficult for Duchene simply due to just how long Paisley was with him for with his puppy a part of his formative years in the National Hockey League including stints with the Colorado Avalanche, Ottawa Senators, Nashville Predators and of course Dallas Stars.

Along with the video, Duchene published the following message:

Paisley… never in my life did I think when your mom and I walked into the Park Meadows Mall in Denver almost 15 years ago to ‘play with a puppy’ (her idea of course) we would leave with my first dog, our first baby, our best friend and the love of our lives. You were there thru it all… the Colorado & Ottawa cold, the Tennessee & Texas heat, your mom and I moving in together, the births of our kids, the highs and lows of this crazy, beautiful life, and all those beyond perfect Haliburton summers… all of it. You raised us as much as we raised you. You were the kindest soul, the best cuddler, a true angel picked out by God and sent down to us. Knowing you’re up in heaven at the cottage, digging holes, chasing squirrels and diving for bass makes me so happy but also so sad that it didn’t last forever down here. The cottage will always be Paisley’s Point. You lived such a long, full life and the effect you had on everyone around you and who knew you was absolutely enormous… I never knew a dog could do that.

I’m so happy I could make it home for the day to send you off to Heaven… thanks for holding on for me, I’ll never forget that. Watch over your mom, the kids and I, bud… fly with us thru this life until we join you with Jesus one day and we can get back out on the boat together. I love you more than words can say buddy… it was a blessing knowing and loving you ❤️ ❤️ ❤️

You can see the video just below, but be warned this one will definitely hit you right in the feels.