"We're cooked" "Time for Power & Byram to step up": Sabres fans react as Rasmus Dahlin takes leave of absence for personal matter

Buffalo Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin will be away from the club for an indefinite amount of time due to a personal matter, team head coach Lindy Ruff announced on Friday. According to Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News, Dahlin has returned to his native Sweden to be with his fiancée, who has undergone a heart transplant.

That situation has left Sabres fans in shock due to the grievous nature of the situation, and the absence on the ice of one of the team’s best players. So, hockey fans took to social media to express their feelings about the situation.

Here’s what these fans had to say:

“We're cooked,” this weighed in. “Time for Power & Byram to step up,” a fan chimed in. “This team has been on a leave of absence for 14 years,” another fan wrote.

Meanwhile, heartfelt good wishes and positive vibes flooded social media. Here’s a look at what fans wrote to wish Rasmus Dahlin and his fiancée all the best:

“Wishing nothing but the best for him and his fiancée,” this fan commented. “Rasmus takes as long as he needs,” a fan posted on X. We’ll always have our captain’s back!” another fan remarked.

It’s unclear when Rasmus Dahlin will return to the ice. In the meantime, the Sabres will have to rally behind their captain while he is away from the team.

Rasmus Dahlin’s situation is “larger than hockey”

Rasmus Dahlin’s absence this season is hardly a surprise, unfortunately. His fiancée, Carolina Matovac, suffered an illness during their summer vacation in France this past summer. As a November 7 piece in The Athletic noted, Matovac required a heart transplant following some time on life support.

According to the piece, Rasmus Dahlin’s fiancée has not suffered any setbacks and has spent the last few weeks recovering in Sweden. Meanwhile, Dahlin returned to North America to fulfill his role with the Sabres.

That situation prompted Ruff to state:

“I fully understand what this young man is going through. I don’t think you can describe it. I don’t think you can feel what he’s feeling. I’m very passionate about the fact that no one would want to walk in his shoes and have dealt with what he dealt with. He has the support of everybody on this. This is larger than hockey.”

Ruff’s comments underscore how these personal tragedies go beyond the usual day-to-day issues of life and hockey. While the Sabres will miss Rasmus Dahlin, everyone is fully aware of how crucial family and health are.

Ruff concluded the matter by stating, per The Athletic:

“Family and personal come before hockey. Hockey’s our job, hockey’s our lifeline, but family and personal trump anything else.”

The Sabres will be back on the ice on Saturday night against the Carolina Hurricanes without their captain in the lineup.

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Edited by Nestor Quixtan