KHL Team Charter Crashes, Hockey Tragedies Keep Piling Up

Waking up this morning and turning on Twitter I am usually looking for something good to get my day going. However, today was not the case…not at all.

 

The Russian Kontinental Hockey League team Lokomotiv Yaroslavl’s plane was taking off in route to their opening game when, due to reasons that I am sure will be uncovered, the plane did not get high enough off the ground and crashed. The entire team basically gone in an instant.

 

Many players and personnel from the hockey world are flooding Twitter and the news wires with this information and condolences to the families of all of those involved. But really, what is there to say? As many have said, everyone is just in shock. No one knows how to react to such a tragedy.

 

The hockey world has endured the worst offseason in its history. With the passings of Derek Boogaard, Rick Rypien, and Wade Belak this summer, this tragedy just adds to the pile of terrible tragedies. Knowing just how connected the hockey world is internally just about everyone has been affected personally by all of these tragedies. And while getting back on the ice as quickly as possible is something everyone wants, no one is ever going to forget how tragic this summer was.

 

For the Rangers many have been touched personally by this tragedy. As Steve Zipay has reported from Artem Anisimov, “I knew half the team. I didn’t believe it at first…then I felt sick.”Anisimov played in the Lokomotiv system before coming to North America and the NHL.

 

Rangers forward Marian Gaborik has lost two of his best friends this summer which is an unimaginable loss to anyone. The loss of one friend is tough enough but something like this just compounds it. Pavol Demitra was known as one of Gaborik’s best friends.

 

Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist was a teammate of Stefan Liv’s during the 2006 Swedish Gold Medal run at the Olympics and had become close friends since then.

 

Only two from the plane itself are still alive including Alexander Galimov who has supposedly suffered burns to 80% of his body. The kid is still fighting and hopefully he pulls through. The other is a crew member who is fighting to stay alive as well.

 

But the damage has been done and many have been lost. I still can’t believe it and its been about a few hours. There is really nothing else to say.

 

Here is a list of the confirmed dead. Not everyone has been accounted for as of right now though (courtesy of Sovietsky Sport in Russia):

 

 

1.Anikeenko Vitaly

2.Bahvalov Yuri

3.Belyaev Alexander

4.Balandin Mikhail

5.Vasyunov Alexander

6.Vashichek Joseph

7.Vyuhin Alexander E.

8.Ditrih Robert Genrikhovich

9. Pavol Demitra

10.Zimin Andrey

11.Kalimulin Marat Natfullovich

12.Karpovtsev Alexander G.

13.Kalyanin Alexander I.

14.Kiryuhin Andrey

15.Klyukin Nikita

16.Korolev Igor Borisovich

17.Krivonosov Nikolai

18.Kunnov Evgeny

19.Kuznetsov Vyacheslav Mikhailovich

20.Liv Stephen Daniel Patrick

Jan 21.Marek

22.MakKrimmon Brad Byron

23.Ostapchuk Sergey I.

24.Piskunov Vladimir Leonidovich

25.Rahunek Karel

26.Sidorov Evgeny

27.Skrastinsh Karlis Martinovic

28.Snurnitsyn Pavel

29.Daniel E. Sobchenko

30.Tkachenko Ivan Leonidovich

31.Trahanov Pavel

32.Yuri O.Urychev

33.Churilov Gennady S.

34.Shuvalov Maxim A.

35.Yarchuk Artem Nikolaevich

36. Ruslan Salei

 

 

Crew:

 

36.Solomentsev Andrey, Commander

37.Zhivelov Igor Konstantinovich, second pilot

38.Zhuravlev Sergey, bortmehanih

39.Sarmatova Elena, flight attendant

40.Maksumova Hope Murzafarovna, flight attendant

41.Shavina Elena, flight attendant

42.Matyushin Vladimir Yurevich, flight engineer

 

Condolences to the friends and families of all of these people. It doesn’t get worse than this folks. If anything the hockey community will have to get together once again and offer support and comfort because everyone knows they need it.