NHL star David Pastrnak announces death of newborn son

Hockey star David Pastrnak announced Monday on Instagram that his infant son has died. The Boston Bruins star and his girlfriend, Rebecca Rohlsson, welcomed their first son, Viggo Rohl Pastrnak, on June 17. He died at just six days old.

“We have an Angel watching over us and we call him SON. You will be loved FOREVER,” Pastrnak wrote on Instagram, asking followers to respect the family’s privacy as they go through “these heartbreaking times.”

The Bruins also posted a statement on Twitter. “We are heartbroken by the passing of David and Rebecca’s son, Viggo,” the statement reads. “David and Rebecca are a part of our family and we share in their loss. Please keep them in your thoughts and respect their privacy during this very difficult time.” Several NHL teams replied to the tweet with their condolences. 

Pastrnak, 25, was born in Czech Republic and has played on the Bruins since 2014. In January, he and Rohlsson announced in a gender reveal video that they were having a boy. 

In an interview with NHL.com in May, Pastrnak spoke about being an expecting father. “You come home and you don’t think about hockey at all, you obviously have other priorities,” he said. “You’re getting ready for the baby and we couldn’t be more excited. So, hockey’s not been talked much lately at home and sometimes that’s good, you know?”

The past year was difficult for the NHL star, who was separated from his family in Europe during the pandemic, according to NHL.com. “When things are going well, it’s good, and when things are not going well, sometimes you just need to think about other stuff,” he said. 

“For me it’s been definitely something new, but I’m so excited,” Pastrnak said. “Family is always going to be number one, and at the end of the day, I’m grateful that I can live and work with a job that I love, but at the end of the day it’s just a game. [My family] is always going to be number one.”