Flames assistant GM Chris Snow dies from ALS complications

Calgary Flames vice-president of data and analytics and assistant general manager Chris Snow has died of complications from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Snow, 42, was diagnosed in 2019 with ALS, which is a progressive nervous system disease affecting brain cells and the spinal cord, and causes a loss of muscle control.

Chris's wife Kelsie confirmed Snow's death on Saturday.

Today we hugged Chris for the last time and said goodbye as he went to give four people the gift of life by donating his kidneys, liver and lungs. We are deeply broken and deeply proud. In life and in death, Chris never stopped giving. We walk forward with his light guiding us. <a href="https://t.co/hqquCUGBBW">pic.twitter.com/hqquCUGBBW</a>

Snow's father, two uncles and a cousin also died of what's also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

Gehrig, a New York Yankee, was diagnosed with it at age 36 and died in 1941.

Snow's wife Kelsie poignantly chronicled their family's journey with Chris's disease via her podcast "Sorry, I'm sad", her blog and social media accounts.

The couple met when they were both sportswriters for The Boston Globe in Chris's hometown. They were married in 2007 and have two children, Cohen and Willa.

Chris was a baseball writer when the NHL's Minnesota Wild hired him as their director of hockey operations in 2006.

When the Wild made organizational changes, the Flames brought Chris on board in 2011 as director of hockey analysis. He was promoted to assistant general manager in 2019 and worked primarily in data and video analysis.

"Not once did you ever see him feel sorry for himself for what he was going through," Flames head coach Ryan Huska said.

"He continued to do his job to the best of his ability every day."

The Calgary