Lokomotiv Ice Hockey Team Killed in Russian Air Crash

[Sylar]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-14822582

Just finished reading this on the BBC that the entire Lokomotiv Yaroslavl ice hockey team have been killed in the air crash just outside Minsk.

There were some hugely popular players, many of whom had experienced good success in the NHL in recent years:

Josef Vasicek (Carolina, New York and Nashville)
Karlis Skrastins (Florida, Carolina, Dallas, Nashville)
Ruslan Salei (I didn't realise he'd actually left us to go to Lokomotiv until I read this story! Was with the Wings last year, and also had a long period with the Ducks, the Panthers and the Avalanche)
Karel Rachunek (Ottawa, New York, New Jersey)
Pavol Demitra (Ottawa, St Louis, L.A. Kings, Minnesota, Vancouver)

What a horribly tragic story.

Edit: Also noted that Brad McCrimmon, our long term assistant up until last year was also killed, as he was the Lokomotiv manager. Devastating.

[Haymaker]

Absolutely shocking... RIP.

[Sir David Gray]

I'm not familiar at all with ice hockey players or clubs but I heard this earlier on the news and it's just such a tragic accident. I was reading through the ages of those who have died in this crash and a lot of them were just in their early 20s. Very sad indeed.

It sounds so similar to the Munich disaster in 1958 which decimated the Manchester Utd team.

[GhostofBolivar]

I remember Igor Korolev - one of Lokomotiv's assistant coaches - playing for the Leafs when I started following the sport. He was a very good player. Alexander Karpovtsev, another of the coaches, was too.

A sad day. There have been too many in hockey this summer.

[--------]

Seems to have failed to gain height after take-off.

EU authorities were questioning the safety of Yak-Service aircraft earlier this year. This aircraft wouldn't have been allowed in EU airspace. An 'executive charter' service - in other words a cowboy operation. Looks as if the thing was a freakin death-trap, badly designed and badly maintained.

I used to say I was scared of flying, but actually it's suddenly stopping flying that makes me frightened. Or not really managing to fly, like this.


Very sad - hockey's had too many stories like this one this summer.

[--------]

Galimov has just died - burns over 90% of his body, according to the news.

[cabbageandribs1875]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-14879198


The only member of a Russian ice hockey team to survive a plane crash last week has died of his severe injuries. (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-14879198)

[--------]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-14879198


The only member of a Russian ice hockey team to survive a plane crash last week has died of his severe injuries. (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-14879198)


All plane crashes are bad, but when a whole team and their coaches and trainers are killed at once, it seems specially tragic.

Ask not to know for whom the bell tolls.... :hmmm:

[GhostofBolivar]

http://www.pensionplanpuppets.com/2011/9/19/2436939/Korolev-Belak-Karpovtsev-tribute-video#comments

:boo hoo::boo hoo::boo hoo: