Emotional Reunion: Rasmus Dahlin Celebrates His Fiancée’s Return to Buffalo
The Buffalo Sabres captain, Rasmus Dahlin, experienced a very special moment recently. After hearing his name announced on the stadium speakers and looking at the scoreboard, a smile lit up his face as he saw his fiancée, Carolina Matovac, waving from a box. Dahlin had longed for this moment: to have Carolina back in Buffalo, witnessing his first Sabres game since he suffered a cardiac problem during a vacation in France last summer. Amidst the cheers of the fans, Dahlin joined his teammates in banging their sticks against the boards during a break in the first period of the game against Boston, which Buffalo lost in overtime by 4-3.Matovac’s trip to Buffalo represents a major step forward in his recovery, after receiving a life-saving heart transplant. He arrived this week after spending much of the last seven months recovering in Sweden, the couple’s home country. The situation of Matovac was kept secret before Dahlin revealed what happened upon returning to the training camp. In a message posted on the team’s website, Dahlin detailed how Matovac was close to death. Dahlin explained that Matovac felt unwell for several days before his heart failed, requiring cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) “on multiple occasions and for up to a couple of hours each time.”“Incredible, the support we’ve received for a long time,” Dahlin said. “Getting this today was something special, no doubt.”
Rasmus Dahlin
Matovac spent weeks connected to life support before receiving a new heart. In January, she revealed that she was pregnant when her heart failed, adding that her unborn baby played “a vital role” in discovering the problem. However, the fetus did not survive.“Without receiving the CPR that saved his life, the outcome would have been unimaginable. It’s difficult to even think about the worst-case scenario,” Dahlin wrote.
Rasmus Dahlin
Dahlin made some short trips home this season to be with Matovac. He has demonstrated leadership and determination in the midst of this personal crisis, helping to lead a change for Buffalo, which is on the verge of ending a 14-season playoff drought, a record in the NHL. With the second-best defense in the team with 65 points, the Sabres are on a 33-6-4 streak that has catapulted them from last place in the Eastern Conference in early December to a tie for first place.“You will always occupy a special place in our hearts as our first baby, even though we never had the opportunity to meet you. Our love for you is infinite,” she wrote on what was supposed to be the due date. “If it weren’t for my concern for you, we might not have asked for help and not have gone to the hospital.”
Carolina Matovac
