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Buffalo Sabers star Rasmus Dahlin’s fiancee received a roaring welcome home in her first appearance of the season Wednesday night, months after undergoing a life-saving transplant after she went into heart failure while on vacation in France.
Carolina Matovac, 25, was shown on the jumbotron during Wednesday’s game against the Boston Bruins. Fans cheered as she waved and Dahlin, who was also shown on screen in the split, smiled at the crowd’s reaction.
Carolina Matovac and Rasmus Dahlin (26) of the Buffalo Sabers pose on the red carpet at the Metro Toronto Convention Center in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on February 1, 2024. (Nicole Osborne/NHLI via Getty Images)
“Welcome home to Carolina Matovac, our captain Rasmus Dahlin’s fiancee,” the arena announcer said. “She’s back with us participating in her first game of the season. Saberhood loves you Carolina.”
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In an open letter to fans in September, Dahlin shared that Matovac had felt sick for several days during their trip, which led to her experiencing “major heart failure.”
“Fortunately, she received CPR on several occasions, up to a few hours at a time, to keep her alive, which ultimately saved her life. Without her receiving life-saving CPR, the outcome would have been unimaginable. It’s hard to even think of the worst-case scenario,” he wrote at the time.
Rasmus Dahlin (26) of the Buffalo Sabers prepares for a faceoff during an NHL game against the New York Rangers at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York on October 9, 2025. (Bill Wippert/NHLI via Getty Images)
Matovac remained on life support for weeks before receiving the transplant in France.
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In January, Matovac revealed that she was pregnant when her heart failed, adding that her unborn child was the reason she initially went to the hospital.
“You will always have 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,” she wrote in an Instagram post about what was supposed to be her due date.
“Even though you didn’t get to experience this world, you played a vital role in ensuring that I could continue to be a part of it.”
Buffalo Sabers defenseman Rasmus Dahlin (26) follows the puck during the first period against the Ottawa Senators at the Canadian Tire Center in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada on April 1, 2025. (Marc DesRosiers/Imagn Images)
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Despite taking some time off to be with Matovac as she recuperates in their native Sweden, Dahlin is second on the team with 65 points as the Sabers come close to ending an NHL-record 14-season playoff drought.
