- Jordan Staal, 29, and wife Heather released a statement on Wednesday, revealing that daughter Hannah was born stillborn over the weekend
- They said they ‘prayed for a miracle’ but that Hannah was born with a terminal birth defect
- The couple, who have been married since 2012 and have two other young daughters, said they were ‘very thankful for our short time with her’
- Staal is a captain for the Carolina Hurricanes, and previously helped the Pittsburgh Penguins win the Stanley Cup in 2009
Carolina Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal, 29, and his wife say their infant daughter died of a terminal birth defect.
The team released a statement Wednesday from Staal and his wife, Heather. The Hurricanes announced Hannah’s death Sunday, though they didn’t publicly reveal the cause.
In the statement, the Staals say it had been ‘a longer road than most people know’ and that they had ‘prayed for a miracle,’ but that Hannah was stillborn. They say they are ‘very thankful for our short time with her.’
Carolina Hurrcanes captain Jordan Staal (pictured on January 9) and his wife Heather say their daughter Hannah died after being born with a birth defect over the weekend
The Staals spoke about their daughter’s death in a statement released through the team on Wednesday
They also thanked friends, family and the hockey community for support.
The Hurricanes say Staal rejoined the team Wednesday and is expected to play Thursday against Philadelphia.
Jordan and his wife married in June 2012, after a long period of dating. They have two other daughters, three-year-old Abigail and one-year-old Lilah.
Staal was born and raised in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada to a die-hard hockey family.
Each of his three brothers went on to play professional hockey.
Older brothers Eric, 33, and Mark, 31, play for the Minnesota Wild and New York Rangers respectively while his younger brother Jared, 27, previously played for the Edinburgh Capitals in the EIHL.
In 2009, Jordan became the second Staal brother, behind Eric, to be on a Stanley Cup-winning team when his former team the Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Detroit Red Wings in the NHL final.
Jordan and his wife married in June 2012, after a long period of dating. They have two other daughters, three-year-old Abigail (pictured at her birth in 2015 above) and one-year-old Lilah.