Ottawa Senators captain Erik Karlsson and wife Melinda reveal son was stillborn

Ottawa Senators captain Erik Karlssonand his wife Melinda say their son, who they named Axel, was stillborn.

In a statement shared by Karlssonon his Twitter account Wednesday, the couplethanked supporters for theoutpouring of condolences they received and for respecting theirprivacy after news of the loss of their son spread on social media.

"At this extremely difficult time it's hard to see the light at the end 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 process that we need to go through," the statement read.

"We feel very lucky to be Axel'sparents. 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."

The Ottawa Senators revealed Tuesday that the couple had lost their baby.

In November 2017, the couple announced they were expecting.