The hockey world was hit with a piece of devastating news on Tuesday afternoon when the released a statement revealing that defenseman and his wife, Melinda, lost their unborn son, Axel. On Wednesday, Erik and Melinda released . They expre sed their grief but also thanked everyone for following the devastating news. "At this extremely difficult time it's hard to see the light at the end Ryan Johnson Jersey of the tunnel but we know one day we'll get there. We would like to thank everyone for the love and support we have received and also for respecting our privacy and the proce s that we need to go through. "We feel very lucky to be Axel's parents. Even though he was stillborn, we know we will hold him again one day under different circumstances and the joy he gave us will be with us forever." Karl son, 27, and Melinda announced that they were expecting a boy -- their first child together -- with post on social media back in December. That announcement went viral, as Karl son discovered the baby's gender with a slapshot that exploded into blue smoke before he excitedly celebrated with his wife. The baby was reportedly due in April. The defenseman left the team on Tuesday to be with his family as they mourn, and there's currently no timetable yet for his return. Casey Nelson Jersey