Another hockey tragedy emerges when KHL team plane crashed

[germany00]

A plane crash near the city of Yaroslavl in Central Russia has claimed the lives of at least 36 people. Some reports have the death total at 42. The majority of victims are believed to be members of the Kontinental Hockey League club, Lokomotiv.

The crash occurred at 12 noon Moscow time.

Eight crew members are also among the dead, according to reports. According to Russian aviation officials, two passengers survived the crash, but are in critical condition.

According to Sov Sport, Locomotiv has confirmed that the entire main roster, plus four players from the youth team, were on the plane.

The Locomotiv roster was full of players with NHL ties.

The team's head coach, Brad McCrimmon, played in the NHL and most recently served as an assistant coach with the Detroit Red Wings before taking the Yaroslavl job in May. Defenseman Karel Rachunek, Ruslan Salei and Karlis Skrastins, as well as forwards Pavol Demitra and Josef Vasicek all spent a good deal of time in the NHL. Forward Alexander Vasyunov played a handful of games with the New Jersey Devils last season.

According to the reports on the crash, the plane, a Yakovlev Yak-42 passenger jet, went down and caught fire shortly immediately after taking to the air, crashing less than 2 kilometers from the airport.

It was en route to Minsk, Belarus for a Thursday night game against Dynamo Minsk.

The Russian Emergency Situations Ministry said the crashed immediately after taking off from an airport near the city on the Volga River, which is approximately 150 miles northeast of Moscow.

The KHL season opened Wednesday wiuth a game between Ufa and Atlant, but that game was suspended as soon as news of the tragedy broke.

Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, founded in 1949 as the team of the Railways Ministry, is one of Russia's leading hockey teams and came runner up in the Kontinental Hockey League in 2008 and 2009. In 1997 it took the Russian Superleague title and won back-to-back championships in 2002 and 2003.

 

[playmaker7]

Holy shit that's horrible...a tragic event with not much to even comment on. Wow.

 

[germany00]

its absolutely sickening

 

[snipezo]

Demo

This is too sad. I was pretty shocked when I heard the news. R.I.P

 

[Mr.Baller]

ishhh

 

[Blake]

That fucking sucks.

 

[SaintFan25]

Sad day for hockey. I remember meeting Pavol Demitra when I was a little kid, he was a great guy, so sad he's gone along with the rest of the team.

 

[Mr.Baller]

Man these past few moths have been horrible for the hockey world .

 

[dh1333]

Apparently there were 45 people on board and there are 43 dead. 1 player is alive in critical condition with burns on 80% of his body and 1 crew member who is in a little bit more stable condition...

I am in shock right now RIP

 

[LeafsFan4Life]

I still can't believe this. So shocking. I remember watching Korolev and Karpovtsev on the Leafs in the late 90's. I loved watching Ostapchuk when he played for the Huskies a few years ago. RIP.

 

[RipCity32]

Absolutely tragic. RIP.

 

[germany00]

the big league hockey players dead just went from 3 to 40 over night

 

[sheed]

RIP to all of those that died. Especially Rusty (Ruslan Salei) and Brad McCrimmon. Absolutely horrific news, and I am still in shock.

 

[NV]

This is terrible. RIP to all those who lost their lives.