Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin (26), left, reacts after scoring a goal against the San Jose Sharks during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, March 19, 2026, in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Thien-An Truong)
March 25, 2026 - 5:37 PM
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin’s fiancee, Carolina Matovac, is back in Buffalo and on Wednesday attended her first game since her heart failed while the couple vacationed in France last summer.
The Sabres welcomed Matovac by showing her in the stands during the first period of their game against Boston. Matovac waved to the cheering crowd while Sabres players slapped their sticks against the boards.
Matovac received a lifesaving heart transplant and had spent the past seven months recovering in the couple's native Sweden, with Dahlin taking a few brief trips to visit her during the season.
Upon reporting for training camp in September, Dahlin revealed his fiancee's ordeal in a message posted on the team's website. He said Matovac felt sick for several days before her heart failed, saying she required CPR on “multiple occasions and up to a couple of hours at a time.”
Matovac spent weeks on life support before receiving a new heart. In January, Matovac revealed that she was pregnant when her heart failed, adding that her unborn child played “a vital role” in the discovery of the problem. The fetus, however, did not survive.
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