Sharks winger Evander Kane took to Twitter on Thursday to announce that his wife had lost a child during pregnancy.
Kane, 27, has missed the Sharks' past six games, partially due to injury and partially due to "personal reasons" but there was no clarification regarding his status until Thursday. Then he posted a devastating written statement via his Twitter account explaining the recent absence and sharing that he and his wife are "heartbroken" following the death of their 26-week-old unborn daughter Eva.
"My family and I are heartbroken," Kane said. "Words cannot express how excited we were to welcome our baby girl into the world and watch her grow. Eva, you have been the absolute biggest blessing of our lives and we are so grateful for all the joy you brought us in such a short amount of time."
"Though we are devastated that you couldn't stay with us longer, your mom and I will always cherish the time had with your beautiful soul. Your spirit will give us strength, your love will give us comfort. We will love you forever."
Kane also thanked friends, family and fans for their support over the past few weeks. Eva was the couple's first child.
The NHL and NHLPA both released a statement on Thursday.
"The National Hockey League family offers its deepest condolences to Evander Kane and his family," the league tweeted.
Nearly one year ago, Kane's teammate Erik Karlsson -- then with the Ottawa Senators -- and his wife, Melinda, also mourned the death of their first child, Axel, who was stillborn.
