SALT LAKE CITY: Smith Entertainment Group chief communications officer Caroline Klein died August 21 at age 40 following a multi-year battle with cancer.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Klein shared the news of her own passing in a\u00a0<\/span>LinkedIn post<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>in which she detailed her 2023 cancer diagnosis that evolved to Stage 4 Proximal Type Epithelioid Sarcoma in her lungs \u2013 a rare, aggressive soft tissue cancer for which she said there aren\u2019t enough \u201canswers, research or treatment options,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you\u2019re reading this, it\u2019s because my lungs have taken their final breath, and my soul is on a thoughtful search for its next great adventure,\u201d Klein said in the post she asked her family to post on her behalf.\u00a0<\/p>\n Klein, who has served as chief communications officer for Smith Entertainment Group, the owner of Utah\u2019s NBA and NHL franchises, since September of 2024, described the lessons she\u2019s learned from her diagnosis and finding purpose in every moment \u2014 noting that she wants people to remember her for \u201cthe way I lived, not the way I died.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLife is beautiful in the way that it\u2019s a timeless adventure, so this is not the end of our time together,\u201d she added. \u201cI\u2019ll still be there to help celebrate your wins and give you a little boost when you need it the most, but how we connect and how you feel my presence will be in a different form moving forward.\u201d<\/p>\n Chairman and CEO of Smith Entertainment Group Ryan Smith remembered Klein, whom he called \u201ca legend\u201d of Utah, in a\u00a0<\/span>post to X\u00a0<\/span><\/a>on Friday.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201c[Klein] was truly one of a kind. [Smith Entertainment Group cofounder Ashley Smith] and I and the rest of the SEG team will miss her every single day,\u201d Smith wrote. \u201cWorking with CK was a highlight of my career.\u201d<\/p>\n NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and NBA commissioner Adam Silver both issued statements Friday in response to Klein\u2019s passing.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe National Hockey League family is deeply saddened by the passing of our friend and colleague, Caroline Klein,\u201d Bettman said in a\u00a0<\/span>statement<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>to X. \u201c[Klein\u2019s] effervescence and her tireless work to establish the Utah franchise were marvels in themselves, but all the more remarkable given the valiant fight she was waging with cancer.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n