Breaking: Young NHL star leaves his team due to terrible tragedy.

Some very sad news to report on a Monday.

In an official press release the Arizona Coyotes have announced that their star defenseman, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, will be taking an extended leave of absence from the team. According to the release, Larsson's mother has lost a long and difficult battle with cancer and he is returning to Sweden to be with his family in this most difficult of times.

From the Coyotes:

"Our thoughts and prayers are with Oliver and his family during this very difficult time," said Chayka. "Oliver has done a remarkable job dealing with this issue all season long and we commend him for the professionalism that he's demonstrated. It's important that he travels back to Sweden now to be with his family."

Larsson himself also released a statement:

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"This has been a very difficult year for me personally," said Ekman-Larsson. "I'd like to thank the Coyotes organization and all of my teammates for their incredible support all season long. I'm sorry that I'll miss our last three games but family comes first."

Losing a parent is never easy, and for a young man who is just 25 years old, and who has spent so much time away from home due to his professional life, this has to be devastating.