Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson reveals personal battles fought during 2024-25 season
Photo credit: Chicago Sun Times
Whether you dislike or have enjoyed Kyle Davidson's time as the general manager of the Chicago Blackhawks so far, you cannot deny that he's putting a lot of work in.
His hard work was evident in the 2024-25 season that has just passed, including several curveballs.
Implementing a coaching change, a Seth Jones public trade requerst, a heart surgery and even a newborn little one.
Heart surgery? Davidson underwent a crucial surgery during the 4 Nations Face-Off break, just days before the birth of his second daughter Charlotte.
«It was a challenging season for myself,» he said during end-of-season interviews Thursday at Fifth Third Arena.
«I would say that's mostly away from the rink. New child, a heart surgery and going through that whole situation where feeling the way I was feeling, finding out the news, going through the process of second, third opinions and doing that all while in between work. That's not easy.
I didn't have heart surgery on my bingo card this year.»
«I would say that's mostly away from the rink. New child, a heart surgery and going through that whole situation where feeling the way I was feeling, finding out the news, going through the process of second, third opinions and doing that all while in between work. That's not easy.
I didn't have heart surgery on my bingo card this year.»
The heart surgery came after he was tested in mid-November that lead to concerns.
«I was born with Tetralogy of Fallot, a congenital heart defect, and so I've been followed by a cardiologist my whole life,» the 36-year-old Sudbury, Ontario, native said. «I had two open hearts really early on in life (as an infant), another open-heart (surgery) in November 2019, and so I'm very in tune with what is normal for me and what's not.»
Davidson's wifed chimed in on the worries of her husband undergoing such a large surgery:
«Yeah, it's a lot,» Davidson's wife, Angelica, told the Tribune. «When he initially told me about it (while dating), it was just something he kind of just brushed off: 'By the way, I've got this heart condition, not a big deal. Doesn't affect anything in life.'
«Like, 'OK, that's good. You should probably see a cardiologist, though.' And he is like, 'Yeah, you're right. And fast forward a couple weeks later, he's like, 'Yeah, I need open-heart surgery. We weren't even dating a year, and I was obviously not married, no kids, and I was still scared out of my mind.»
«Like, 'OK, that's good. You should probably see a cardiologist, though.' And he is like, 'Yeah, you're right. And fast forward a couple weeks later, he's like, 'Yeah, I need open-heart surgery. We weren't even dating a year, and I was obviously not married, no kids, and I was still scared out of my mind.»
Davidson was diagnosed with a heart defect at a young age, and in 2019 he had surgery for a pulmonary valve replacement, which he was told it would last 10 to 15 years.
But just five years later, the Blackhawks GM began experiencing issues that drew concern.
«It's a combination of palpitations, fatigue, inability to really do workouts that I would be able to do previously; shortness of breath, especially laying on my back,» Davidson said. «All kinds of things that are little signs along the way that something isn't working especially well.»
Davidson underwent further testing, which highlighted abnormalities with his heart valve, but then he experienced more fear.
«a really aggressive beating of the heart,» Davidson said. «It kind of threw up some flags. So during that time more tests showed that, you know what there is, there is a failure of the pulmonary valve, and it needs to be replaced,» he said.
It certainly caught Davidson off-guard as his thought of the valve not holding up for the expected 10-15 years that doctors informed him of, and it was only five years.
«That was a tough bit of news,» he said. «It was at a time where the team wasn't doing as well. My wife is basically at her due date with our second daughter. Our daughter, Charlotte, was born on the 26th. So, like, literally a week later.»
Davidson shockingly shrugged it off for the mean time, but knew at some point in the season he would have to admit himself to the hospital.
«For myself, there are leaflets in a valve that allow blood flow in and out,» Davidson said. «(As) it was explained to me, one of the leaflets was just basically nonexistent. It just wasn't working anymore causing the heart to work much harder than it needs to, and thus enlarging the heart.»
Davidson's surgery was successful, and so was his Blackhawks season-end, who beat playoff teams in back to back games.
Previously on HawksInsider
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AVRIL 22 | 252 ANSWERS Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson reveals personal battles fought during 2024-25 season Do you think Kyle Davidson can lead the Chicago Blackhawks to the playoffs in the 2025-26 NHL season? | ||
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