"Hug your people" wrote his wife, Kelsie, in a post about her husband and his battle with ALS
The pall over the Calgary Flames practice on Wednesday was noticeable to all.
On everyone’s mind was the news assistant general manager and vice-president of hockey operations Chris Snow, who has been battling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) since 2019, had suffered a catastrophic brain injury caused by a lack of oxygen when he went into cardiac arrest on Tuesday.
Kelsie Snow, his wife, shared the news on social media early Wednesday, and added doctors do not expect him to awake.
"My chest feels cracked open and hollowed out. Chris is the most beautiful, brilliant person I'll ever know and doing life without him feels untenable. Hug your people,” she posted on social media.
During a press conference to announce Mikael Backlund had signed a contract extension and has been named captain, general manager Craig Conroy fought back tears and said, "It just doesn't seem right to not have Snowy here with us."
The Snow family — Chris, Kelsie and their two children — has been very open about Chris’s battle, with #SnowyStrong a symbol of their fight and honour of their courage, on top of raising funds for ALS research.
“We cannot convey the impact Chris has on our organization, not only in his work but the leadership and positivity he brings,” the Flames posted on X. “Despite his own challenges, he is a beacon of light, uplifting all of us around him. Our hearts are with Kelsie, Cohen and Willa as Chris continues to battle.”