NEED TO KNOW
\nBuffalo Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin’s fianc\u00e9e Carolina Matovac revealed her pregnancy loss in an emotional tribute on InstagramIn the caption for her Instagram post, Matovac shared that her unborn baby played a “vital role” in her discovering her heart failureWhile the couple was on vacation in France last summer, Matovac suffered heart failure and underwent a heart transplant, according to an open letter written by Dahlin in September 2025<\/p>\n
Buffalo Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin’s fianc\u00e9e Carolina Matovac<\/a> is opening up about a recent pregnancy loss.\n<\/p>\n On Monday, Jan. 26, the NHL star’s fianc\u00e9e, 25, shared a picture on Instagram<\/a> of her and her husband, also 25, on a plane being taken to a hospital. In the caption for the post, she opened up about experiencing a pregnancy loss, noting that today would have been the baby’s due date.\n<\/p>\n “Today was meant to be the day we finally met you,” Matovac began her emotional tribute. “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.”\n<\/p>\n “Though you didn\u2019t get to experience this world, you played a vital role in ensuring that I could continue to be a part of it,” she continued. “If it weren\u2019t for my worries about you, we might never have called for help and gone to the hospital. 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.”\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Matovac concluded her caption, calling the little one they never had the chance to meet their “hero” and sharing her love for her unborn child.\n<\/p>\n “You are our hero, and I hope you are being well cared for in heaven,” she wrote. “We love you baby Matovac Dahlin\ud83d\udc7c\ud83c\udffb\ud83e\udd0d\ud83d\udd4a\ufe0f.”\n<\/p>\n In a letter to the Buffalo Sabres community<\/a> last year, Dahlin shared the news that his fianc\u00e9e suffered heart failure and underwent a heart transplant while in the south of France.\n<\/p>\n \u201cWhile 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,\u201d Dahlin wrote at the time. \u201cFortunately, 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.\u201d\n<\/p>\n Matovac was transferred to a hospital \u201cwhere she remained on life support for weeks before she was a beneficiary of a heart transplant,\u201d Dahlin added.\n<\/p>\n Carolina Matovac and Rasmus Dahlin.<\/p>\n Bruce Bennett\/Getty<\/p>\n Never miss a story \u2014 sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter<\/a> to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer\u200b\u200b, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. \u00a0\n<\/p>\n The Sabres captain went on to thank the \u201ctremendous nurses, doctors and rehabilitation staff\u201d at hospitals in Juan-les-Pins and Marseille, France and in Gothenburg, Sweden, where the hockey star is from.\n<\/p>\n \u201cWithout 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,\u201d he wrote.\n<\/p>\n The NHL star also shared his gratitude to the league, the players\u2019 association, and the Sabres\u2019 owners \u2014\u00a0\u00a0the Pegula family<\/a>, who also own the Buffalo Bills. He added that, through his announcement, he and Matovac hope to spotlight the importance of CPR training and organ donation.\n<\/p>\n