NHL Star David Pastrnak's Son Dies at 6 Days Old: 'Heartbreaking Times'

May 2024 · 3 minute read

David Pastrnak suffered a great tragedy this month when he lost his newborn child. The professional hockey player has since taken to social media to mourn the little boy’s death with a heartfelt image.

Probably one of the happiest days in David Pastrnak’s life was when he and his longtime girlfriend, Rebecca Rohlsson, welcomed their son, Viggo Rohl. The star’s little boy and first child was born on June 17, 2021.

However, Pastrnak couldn’t have anticipated that he would be dealing with a gut-wrenching tragedy a few days later. On June 28, 2021, a few days after the child was born, the athlete revealed they’d sadly lost their child.

David Pastrnak at Madison Square Garden on February 16, 2020, in New York City | Photo: Jared Silber/NHLI/Getty Images

The Boston Bruins professional hockey player took to his Instagram account to share the heartbreaking news alongside a black-and-white image of his son. In the photo, the only thing visible was little Viggo’s tiny baby feet.

Pastrnak, 25, revealed in the caption of the post that the little boy had passed on the week before on Wednesday, June 23, 2021. He and Rohlsson only got to spend time with the child for six days before his sudden death.

Mourning his son’s unexpected departure, the professional athlete emotionally noted that the little boy was now an angel that watched over him and his girlfriend. Showing how much he had loved his only child, the star wrote:

“You will be loved FOREVER…”

He concluded his touching post by asking his fans for privacy as he and Rohlsson dealt with the tragedy. His hockey teammates mourned with him by noting in a Twitter post how heartbroken they were for his loss, adding:

“David and Rebecca are a part of our family and we share in their loss.”

The Boston Bruins asked their fans to keep Pastrnak and Rohlsson in their thoughts. The couple in mourning also received a message of condolence from the National Hockey League (NHL) Public Relations’ Twitter account.

A month before the child was born, the hockey player told NHL.com that he was always putting his family first. He also revealed that he was getting ready for his son’s arrival by building him a crib and painting the nursery.

Besides [David] Pastrnak, another great player for the Boston Bruins was right winger David Backes.

Pastrnak and his girlfriend started dating in July 2018 before the birth of their first child. She is originally from Stockholm, Sweden, but she now resides with her famous hockey player boyfriend in Boston, Massachusetts.

Hopefully, playing the sport he loves and excels in will help Pastrnak heal from this great loss. In October 2019, his team's top line remained one of the best in the NHL, with the player scoring 10 goals and boasting 7 assists.

The star proved his great abilities in May 2021 when he marked his second career playoff hat trick. This led to the Boston Bruins defeating the New York Islanders 5-2 in the opening game of their second-round playoff series.

Besides Pastrnak, another memorable player for the Boston Bruins was right-winger David Backes. In December 2018, the latter received a minor penalty after he delivered an illegal hit on a New Jersey Devils player.

Backes was suspended from the Boston Bruins the next day for three games because he was a repeat offender. He ended up playing against the team in the 2019 Stanley Cup after playing 15 games with them until the finals.

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