NHL star reveals fiancée received heart transplant after suffering 'major heart failure' during vacation

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Buffalo Sabres star Rasmus Dahlin revealed in an open letter to hockey fans that his fiancée, Carolina Matovac, received a heart transplant after she experienced "major heart failure" while the couple was vacationing in France early this summer. 

The Sabres captain detailed the traumatic experience in a letter shared by the team Friday. According to Dahlin, Matovac had been feeling ill for several days, which led to her experiencing "major heart failure."

Carolina Matovac and Rasmus Dahlin (26) of the Buffalo Sabres pose on the red carpet at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on Feb. 1, 2024. (Nicole Osborne/NHLI via Getty Images)

"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," he wrote. 

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Matovac remained on life support for weeks before receiving the transplant in France. 

"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." 

Rasmus Dahlin (26) of the Buffalo Sabres skates during the first period against the Philadelphia Flyers at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York, on April 17, 2025. (Rebecca Villagracia/Getty Images)

Dahlin thanked Matovac’s medical team, the NHL and NHLPA, and the Pegula family for their support. He said that by sharing this