Former NHL player Nic Kerdiles, the onetime fiancé of reality TV star Savannah Chrisley, died on Saturday. He was 29.
The ex-Chrisley Knows Best star confirmed his passing as his cause of death was made public, Fox News reports.
Chrisley, 26, was engaged to Kerdiles for two years and used social media to pay tribute to him.
“Heaven gained the most beautiful angel today. I miss you and I love you,” Chrisley wrote on an image of herself with Kerdiles that was taken during their engagement photo shoot in 2019.
She continued, “I’ll forever save our last messages of ‘I love you’… Please send me a sign that you’re ok… maybe it’ll be thru a ham and cheese crepe.. or pasta with white sauce… or maybe even your favorite carrot cake.”
“We loved hard…and I can’t wait to ride bikes along the beaches of heaven with you one day,” she concluded the post, which was set to Dani and Lizzy’s 2016 song “Dancing in the Sky.”
Nic Kerdiles (L) and Savannah Chrisley attend the grand opening of E3 Chophouse Nashville on November 20, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Danielle Del Valle/Getty Images for E3 Chophouse Nashville)
Kerdiles died due to injuries suffered following a motorcycle accident early Saturday morning in a residential area in Nashville, Tennessee, according to local news station WKRN.
The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department reportedly told WKRN that the accident occurred when Kerdiles allegedly ran a stop sign while driving his Indian motorcycle and struck a BMW SUV in North Nashville around 3:30am.
Earlier on Saturday night in his final Instagram Story post, Kerdiles shared a photo of himself sitting on an Indian Motorcycle while wearing a helmet and wrote ‘Night rider.’
After playing hockey while attending the University of Wisconsin–Madison, Kerdiles was drafted into the National Hockey League by the Anaheim Ducks in 2012.
Nicolas Kerdiles #59 of the Anaheim Ducks skates during warm ups, prior to the game against the Colorado Avalanche at the Pepsi Center on October 13, 2017 in Denver, Colorado. (Michael Martin/NHLI via Getty Images)
On Saturday, his former team mates honored him with a tribute shared to X, formerly known as Twitter.
“We’re heartbroken to hear the news about Nic Kerdiles, who died in a motorcycle accident this morning,” the team wrote alongside a black and white photo of Kerdiles in his Ducks uniform.”
They continued, “An Irvine native, Nic became the first player from Orange County to play for the Ducks, in 2017. Our thoughts and deepest sympathies go out to his family and loved ones.”
We’re heartbroken to hear the news about Nic Kerdiles, who died in a motorcycle accident this morning. An Irvine native, Nic became the first player from Orange County to play for the Ducks, in 2017. Our thoughts and deepest sympathies go out to his family and loved ones. pic.twitter.com/LMcJ47cKkt
— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) September 23, 2023
The Fox News report details Kerdiles and Chrisley began dating in 2017 after meeting on social media and announced their engagement in December 2018.
Kerdiles proposed to Chrisley on Christmas Eve in front of her family, the couple confirmed at the time.
During their relationship, Kerdiles made appearances on Chrisley Knows Best, the USA network reality show starring Chrisley and her family.
In June 2020, Chrisley revealed the couple had decided to postpone their wedding.