Buffalo Sabres star Rasmus Dahlin and his fiancée, Carolina Matovac, shared heartbreaking news on Monday just months after she suffered a near-death scare.
Matovac underwent a heart transplant after her heart failed while falling sick while on vacation in France last summer.
The couple have now revealed that she was pregnant at the time but tragically lost the baby during the traumatic health battle.
They made the devastating announcement on Monday, which would have been their baby’s due date.
Matovac, who got engaged to the defenseman in 2025, shared the news in a post on Instagram, alongside a photo of her and Dahlin on a plane.
In the image, Matovac was receiving medical care as she wore an oxygen mask and hospital gown, while Dahlin crouched down next to her.
Buffalo Sabres star Rasmus Dahlin and his fiancée, Carolina Matovac, revealed that they lost a baby during her traumatic health battle last summer
Matovac fell sick on a summer on vacation with Dahlin in France earlier this year
The Buffalo Sabres captain took a temporary leave from the team during her recovery
‘Today was meant to be the day we finally met you,’ Matovac wrote. ‘You will always hold a special place in our hearts as our first baby, even though we never had the chance to meet. Our love for you is endless.’
‘Though you didn’t get to experience this world, you played a vital role in ensuring that I could continue to be a part of it.’
She revealed that concerns for their baby during her pregnancy brought them to the hospital, where she experienced her first heart failure.
‘This is just one of the many reasons I am alive today, able to embrace a normal life once again,’ she continued. ‘You are our hero, and I hope you are being well cared for in heaven. We love you, baby Matovac Dahlin.’
While on vacation, Matovac began to feel sick for a few days, which quickly turned into her experiencing major heart failure.
Dahlin detailed in September that his fiancee required CPR on ‘multiple occasions and up to a couple of hours at a time’ and then spent weeks on life support before receiving a new heart.
The 25-year-old Dahlin is in his eighth NHL season after being selected first overall by Buffalo in the 2018 draft. The Swede has topped 50 points in each of his past four seasons and was selected to represent his country at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics.
He took an indefinite leave of absence and returned to Sweden, where Matovac was recovering from a heart transplant, in November. He returned to the team later that month.
