Carolina Matovac, fiancé to Buffalo Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin, shared a heartbreaking post on Instagram describing the death of their baby. “Today was meant to be the day we finally met you,” wrote Matovac. “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.”

Six months prior, Matovac began to feel ill while she and Dahlin were in France on vacation. Unbeknownst to the couple at the time, she was in the beginning stages of heart failure. At the time of the event, Dahlin revealed Matovac had to be resuscitated through CPR. “Fortunately, she received CPR on multiple occasions, and up to a couple of hours at a time to keep her alive, which ultimately saved her life. Without her receiving lifesaving CPR, the result would have been unimaginable. It is hard to even think about the worst-case scenario,” wrote Dahlin. Matovac’s condition was so severe that she remained on life support until she was able to receive a heart transplant. Dahlin took a leave of absence from the team to support Matovac during her recovery.

Matovac was pregnant at the time, and she credited her baby for saving her life. “If it weren’t for my worries about you, we might never have called for help and gone to the hospital,” wrote Matovac. “Because of that decision, I was in the right place at the right time during my first heart failure. This is just one of the many reasons I am alive today, able to embrace a normal life once again.” She concluded with gratitude for her baby. “You are our hero, and I hope you are being well cared for in heaven. We love you baby Matovac Dahlin.”

Matovac and Dahlin are both natives of Sweden and have been together for years. The couple got engaged in 2025. Support poured out on social media for the couple’s loss. “Carolina, your strength and vulnerability is incredible,” wrote one user. “Sending so much love to you, Rasmus & your little one.”