Erik Karlsson welcomes baby girl into the world after previous tragedy

When the San Jose Sharks announced that Erik Karlsson would be missing their season opener against the Vegas Golden Knights “to attend to a personal matter,” much of the hockey world was left wondering what was going on with the two-time Norris Trophy winner.

On Thursday night, all was revealed. Karlsson wasn’t at T-Mobile Arena so he could be somewhere much more important.

The 29-year-old Swede announced on Instagram that his wife, Melinda, had given birth to the couple’s first child, a baby girl.

While any addition to a family is special, the moment had a little bit of extra significance for the two after the death of their unborn son in March of 2018 while Karlsson was still playing for the Ottawa Senators.

“It hasn’t been easy but after the rain finally our little rainbow arrived,” Karlsson wrote on Instagram. “Love you both more than I could ever imagine.”

Following nine seasons with the Senators, Karlsson was traded to San Jose in September 2018. Known for producing offensively from the back end, he scored three goals and collected 45 points in 53 regular season games last year.

More NHL coverage on Yahoo Sports