Hurricanes' Staal: Daughter died from terminal birth defect

Carolina Hurricanes co-captain Jordan Staal and his wife, Heather, announced in a statement through the team that their infant daughter died of a terminal birth defect.

The Hurricanes announced Sunday that Staal's daughter, Hannah, had died but didn't reveal the cause.

"While we prayed for a miracle, or even a few more minutes with her, she came into this world stillborn," Staal's statement reads. "Nonetheless, we are still very thankful for our short time with her.

"My wife and I have been absolutely amazed by the support we've received from our friends, family and the whole hockey community. We just wanted to say thank you."

Staal, who has 14 goals and 20 assists this season, has missed the Hurricanes' past three games. He rejoined the team Wednesday and is expected to play against the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday.

--Field Level Media