RIP

It was an emotional home opener for the Columbus Blue Jackets ... as the team honored the life of Johnny Gaudreau with a touching tribute before the action kicked off -- and there wasn't a dry eye in the arena.

During pregame warmups, the entire team wore #13 jerseys as they took the ice ... which will be put up for auction with proceeds going to the John and Matthew Gaudreau Foundation.

The tribute to Johnny didn't stop there. The team welcomed Johnny's wife Meredith -- and their two kids -- to the ice as they raised a banner to the rafters "In his memory and the legacy of number 13."

Guilherme "Bomba" Vasconcelos -- an MMA fighter who competed in the UFC and Bellator, and dated Demi Lovato -- is dead at 38 years old, his family and members of the fighting community said on Tuesday.

The cause of death is not known at this time.

Vasconcelos made appearances across multiple MMA promotions ... and accumulated a record of 10-6 over the course of his seven-year pro career.

The partner of Janne Puhakka reportedly told police he shot and killed the former hockey player ... a tragedy that is being investigated as a murder.

According to local outlets, 66-year-old veterinarian Rolf Nordmo told police he and Puhakka, 29, split a few weeks ago and Janne had moved out of their Espoo apartment.

Despite the breakup, Nordmo reportedly said they still maintained some contact ... and when Puhakka came over to visit that Sunday for "the arrangement of practical matters," he shot him with a hunting shotgun.

Lisa Marie Presley's life and legacy were celebrated at Graceland ... to honor the arrival of the late singer's memoir.

Fans of Elvis Presley's daughter were invited into the King of Rock 'n' Roll's famous home for an exclusive experience, which included a rare glimpse of some of the estate's more intimate artifacts.

The celebration came days ahead of the release of "From Here to the Great Unknown: A Memoir," Lisa Marie's book that daughter Riley Keough completed in the wake of her mother's passing in 2023.

Employees from the luxury building where Pete Rose lived attempted to do a welfare check on the MLB legend just hours before he was found dead by his son, but received no response from the hit king ... a 911 call obtained by TMZ Sports reveals.

The emergency call to the Las Vegas Metro Police Department was initiated by workers at the Panorama Towers in Sin City at 2:54 PM. They told dispatch they attempted to check on Rose about two hours earlier, but despite banging on his door, received no answer.

The staff told the operator they could hear a television playing loudly inside Rose's unit.

Ka, the Brooklyn-bred rapper with a penchant for letting his elaborate cinematic noir albums do the talking for him -- not public engagements -- died suddenly over the weekend.

On Monday, his IG account broke the bombshell news he died on October 12 in NYC -- the place where he dedicated his livelihood. He is survived by his wife, mother and sister.

No cause of death has been revealed.

Former hockey pro Janne Puhakka -- Finland's first openly gay player -- was found shot to death on Sunday ... and police believe his partner was behind the killing.

Puhakka was only 29.

According to a report out of Finland, Janne was found in his Henttaa Espoo home ... where he lived with his partner, 66-year-old veterinarian Rolf Nordmo.

Gypsy Rose Blanchard has some advice for the Menendez brothers ... saying the outside world is so different -- and, a good therapist goes a long way.

We caught up with Gyspy at LAX Sunday ... and, we had to ask her about the Erik and Lyle Menendez who are serving life sentences for murdering their parents -- though their case is receiving renewed attention over evidence supporting the claims their dad sexually abused them.

GRB -- who was sentenced to 10 years in jail for second-degree murder of her mother, Dee Dee Blanchard, who abused her -- says she's not super educated on the intricacies of the Menendez case ... but, she stands for all victims of abuse.

Taylor Rousseau Grigg -- the TikTok star who died tragically just last week -- has been laid to rest ... with her husband calling the ceremony "beautiful" on social media.

The influencer, who passed away just over a week ago -- was laid to rest Friday, her husband Cameron said ... sharing a picture of a white casket with a matching floral arrangement to his IG story.

Cameron wrote, "It was beautiful princess" followed by a white heart on the pic. He played the song, "Here Without You" by 3 Doors Down over the image.

Late "American Pickers" star Frank Fritz died from a stroke, TMZ has learned ... this according to officials.

According to Frank's death certificate, obtained by TMZ, the immediate cause of death is "late sequela of cerebral infarction" ... medical jargon for a stroke.

The document says Frank's fatal stroke was a result of cerebral vascular disease ... a condition that affects blood flow and blood vessels in the brain.

Some clarity on TikTok star Taylor Rousseau Grigg's sudden and unexpected passing ... her family is announcing her cause of death.

The 25-year-old influencer died as a result of complications related to Addison's disease and asthma ... a rep for her family told TODAY.

As we reported ... Taylor died last Friday, with her husband saying her passing was "so sudden and unexpected." He also said, "This past year Taylor has dealt with more pain and suffering than most people do in a lifetime."

El Taiger -- the Reggaeton star who was found shot in the head in Miami last week -- has died ... according to a statement posted to his Instagram.

According to the IG post, written in Spanish, El Taiger -- born José Manuel Carbajal Zaldívar -- passed away Thursday afternoon. The announcement thanked fans for their prayers over the last week as they all hoped for a miracle.

The statement says that El Taiger is now reunited with his mother in heaven ... and, the rest of his family thanks the medical staff at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami for doing everything they could to save the star.

Kate Middleton is back at her royal duties ... visiting the community center where three children were stabbed to death during a Taylor Swift-themed dance class.

The Princess of Wales stopped by the Southport Community Centre Thursday to speak with members of emergency services ... looking solemn as she and her husband, Prince William, chatted with several attendees.

KM wore a dark brown overcoat with a maroon dress underneath spotted with white polka dots ... matching her man in his gray blazer and maroon sweater combo.

Ethel Kennedy, the widow of Robert F. Kennedy Sr., is dead.

Ethel died Thursday morning as a result of complications related to the stroke she suffered last week ... the famous family just announced.

As we reported ... Ethel had been hospitalized after suffering a stroke in her sleep.

Soccer star George Baldock -- who played seven seasons with Sheffield United -- has died after his body was found in a pool on Wednesday. He was only 31.

Sheffield United confirmed the defender's death hours after Baldock was discovered at his Glyfada, Athens home.

Emergency responders reportedly used life-saving measures at the scene ... but they couldn't revive him. His cause of death is unknown at this time.

Lil Durk, his Only The Family record label, and his slain protégé King Von's estate are facing a new lawsuit filed by the mother of FBG Duck, who's blaming them all for her son's August 2020 death.

On Wednesday, Duck’s mother Lasheena Weekly filed the lawsuit on behalf of her late son's estate in Chicago.

The suit claims Durk’s OTF struck gold with violence and reality rap through the actual violence committed against "FBG Duck and the public at large” -- and even chides the music industry for profiting off Duck's death.