Sometimes, it’s good to remember that hockey is just a game compared to real-life situations.
For Buffalo Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin, things got all too real this off-season, when his fiancee, Carolina Matovac, suffered a frightening health scare.
In a letter posted on the Sabres team website Friday morning, Dahlin revealed that Matovac suffered heart failure while the couple was on vacation this summer and nearly died.
In the letter, which is addressed to the hockey and Buffalo communities, Dahlin shares the story of what occurred during a trip to France.
“I want to share with you a traumatic experience that my fiancée, Carolina, and our families experienced this offseason,” he wrote. “While on vacation in France early this summer, Carolina began to feel sick for a few days, which quickly turned into her experiencing major heart failure.
“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.
“She was transferred to a hospital where she remained on life support for weeks before she was a beneficiary of a heart transplant while still in France.”
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Dahlin expressed his and Matovac’s utmost gratitude for everyone involved in helping them through the ordeal, including nurses, doctors and rehab staff at the Hospital Centre of Antibes Juan–Les–Pins, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Marseille, the Sahlgrenska Hospital in Gothenburg and the Hogsbo Rehabilitation Center.
“Without the incredible commitment, expertise, care and sensitivity of all the people who treated Carolina, we would not be in the position that we are in today, with Carolina recovering well and on the path to a full recovery,” he wrote.
The Swedish star also extended the pair’s gratitude to the NHL and NHLPA for their “incredible support and efforts they made for us during this incredibly difficult time.” They also thanked the Pegula family — owners of the Sabres — as well as the entire organization and Dahlin’s agent, Craig Oster.
While Dahlin is in Buffalo for the team’s training camp, he said that Carolina is working through her rehab before returning to the U.S.
“This has undoubtedly been the most challenging chapter of our lives, however it is something that we have learned so much from,” he wrote. “We will continue to grow from these experiences and are so grateful for all the love and support we have received.
“We are truly blessed in so many ways and fully realize how fortunate we are.”
Dahlin is entering his eighth season with the Sabres, but has yet to reach the playoffs with the team. Last season, he notched 68 points in 73 games while finishing sixth in Norris Trophy voting.