Plane crash in Russia involves KHL team Lokomotiv Yaroslavl

[maildude]

Tragic. Early reports were sad indeed.

 

[sam1317]

In preseason hockey news, the Jets have defeated the Lokomotiv.

(Yeah, I know, I know... I'm on my way to ask for forgiveness right now)

Talk about classless.

 

[PlasmaTwa2]

Talk about classless.

The one underneath mine was worse, thank you very much. :nono:

 

[Trident1]

It's been my experience researching aviation accidents since '84 that charter outfits are the worst in terms of safety, flight preparation, maintenance, and crew training.
If anyone here is ever offered to be flown on a charter flight no matter how small or large.....do not fly.

 

[PlasmaTwa2]

It's been my experience researching aviation accidents since '84 that charter outfits are the worst in terms of safety, flight preparation, maintenance, and crew training.
If anyone here is ever offered to be flown on a charter flight no matter how small or large.....do not fly.

I bet the odds of a crash only get worse when the plane just so happens to be a twenty year old Soviet plane...

 

[DimRay]

A terrible catastrophe. Condolences to the bereaved families. Several dead ice hockey players were from my city.

 

[barebeaverlover]

RIP to the players:crying: Peace to their loved ones

 

[busenbust]

absolute tragedy . RIP all :angels:

 

[PlasmaTwa2]

The KHL announced today that Lokomotiv will play those upcoming season. Each team will offer three players and the team will pick a new team out of that group.

 

[BioDefenseGrad]

This is horrible news, RIP.

 

[Bloodshot Scott]

 

[Mauser98k]

Alexander Galimov has survived the night and is still in critical, but stable, condition. he has 3rd degree burns to over 80% of his body and burns to his upper respiratory system as well.

reading on twitter and the internet, it seems the entire hockey world is pulling for him to make it through this

 

[Bloodshot Scott]

Article in my paper today:

Former Wild forward Pavol Demitra was Marian Gaborik's hero and so much more. 'Teammates, everybody, liked him.'

bbrothers@pioneerpress.com
Updated: 09/07/2011 10:14:13 PM CDT

Former Wild forward Pavol Demitra, who died with Kontinental Hockey League teammates in a plane crash Wednesday, was remembered as much more than a playmaking center.

"I never knew anyone who met Pavol who didn't like him," former Wild assistant general manager Tommy Thompson said. "He was quite a gentleman, and that's why, when you get a tragedy like this, I'm thinking more about the quality of the person."

Demitra, 36, played for the Wild in 2006-07 and 2007-08, recording 40 goals and 78 assists in 139 games. He signed with the Vancouver Canucks as a free agent in 2008 and played two more NHL seasons, bringing his total to 847 NHL games with 304 goals and 464 assists, then joined the KHL in Russia this season.

The loss felt personal to Thompson, who got to know Demitra during scouting trips to Trencin, Slovakia, and said he had "a special relationship" with players from that area. Demitra played for Trencin before coming to the NHL's Ottawa Senators in 1993 and was a "great playmaker," Thompson said. Demitra went on to play with St. Louis and Los Angeles before the Wild acquired him on June 24, 2006, for a first-round draft pick and prospect Patrick O'Sullivan.

"The Minnesota Wild organization joins the rest of the hockey world in mourning the tragedy involving the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl hockey club," the Wild said in a statement. "Pavol Demitra was a valuable member of our team for two seasons and helped the Wild claim its first-ever Northwest Division
title in 2008. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Demitra family as well as all of the families that lost loved ones today."
Demitra's death was the second this summer of a former Wild player. Derek Boogaard died May 13 of an accidental overdose of a painkilling drug mixed with alcohol. Wild equipment manager Tony DaCosta said these were two of the best friends of Marian Gaborik, now with the New York Rangers.

"Demo, u will always b in my heart," Gaborik posted on Twitter. "U were one of my best friends on and off the ice. U will be greatly missed by all of us. My condolences. ..."

Attempts by the Pioneer Press to reach Gaborik on Wednesday were unsuccessful.

With the Wild, Demitra specialized in setup passes to Gaborik, but he was much more than just a linemate and a friend to the player. They were both from Trencin, though Demitra was seven years older. DaCosta said Demitra was "Gabby's hero," revered in Slovakia much the way Wayne Gretzky is revered in North America.

"Gabby's a class act," DaCosta said, "and he probably got a lot of that from 'Demo.' "

Demitra's agent, Matt Keator, knew his client for 15 years and said Demitra was in good spirits when he saw him play at a tournament three weeks ago.

"People were drawn to him," Keator said. "His teammates, everybody, liked him. He was just a good person, a special person. As good a hockey player as he was, he was a better person."

DaCosta saw a side of the soft-spoken Demitra not often witnessed by outsiders.

"He had a great personality," DaCosta said. "He was joking probably a lot more than some people saw because he could get a rise out of people. He was a great teammate."

That was a common refrain among his former Wild teammates. Wild captain Mikko Koivu, who was traveling from Finland to the United States, did not hear about the plane crash until he arrived in New York City late in the afternoon. He called Demitra "a good guy" but said he needed to process the information before further comment.

"He was a good guy," echoed Eric Belanger, another member of the 2007-08 Wild team. "When stuff like that happens, you think of more than him as a hockey player; you start thinking of his wife and two kids. It's not only him, but all the people on that plane who have families, so it's a sad day for hockey."

Former Wild teammate Brent Burns, traded during this offseason to San Jose, had a series of three postings to his Twitter page Wednesday morning:

"Wow tough morning with news of the plane crash, thoughts go out to all the families.

"Know demo was on team, just an awesome guy to play with and was huge in his native country for hockey, prayers go out to his family ...

"Still hoping to hear he wasn't there, haven't heard yet ... Just a crazy crazy summer, def makes you chase kids down for a kiss after that."

 

[Mauser98k]

been reading that Alexander is awake and has actually talked with his father today. terrific news if confirmed.

 

[Trident1]

Sobering.

 

[Mauser98k]

the most touching memorial ceremony i have ever seen

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/pu...k-8217-s-hockey-funeral-for-L?urn=nhl-wp12157

 

[Mauser98k]

Around 4:00PM the police saw an airplane on a runway trying to take off. "It barely took off the ground, hit a beacon antenna, went to the left and crashed through the trees," says Dmitry. "We lifted the anchor and sailed to the crash site. From our place it was not more than 300 yards. Oleg steered the boat and I reported to management about the catastrophe. In just a minute and a half we were at the scene. Part of aircraft was in the water, the rest was burning on the beach. A man was trying to get to the shore, he was in water up to his chest. At first we thought it was a fisherman, who happened to be at the scene, but then realized that it was one of survivors."

The police could not immediately bring the boat to shore because it was shallow. At this moment a man in the pilot's uniform appeared from the wreckage of the plane. He tried to pull out another man, also in the uniform. The cars (police, ambulance, etc.) from the airfield arrived quickly to the crash site. They took care of a man in uniform, Alexander Sizov was pulled out of the water by transport police officers.

The police staff returned to the first survivor. The man was conscious, was talking and moving confidently, but was badly burned. The police helped him to get into the boat. "He was severely burnt," says Dmitry Konoplev, "and we did not even know how to help him, but then picked him up by the elbows, wrists, and pulled aboard. He was freezing, and asked us to cover him. We called the doctors and drove to Yaroslavl. All along the way we talked to him trying to keep him from losing consciousness. He behaved very bravely, was able to adequately assess the situation. Just before being loaded into an ambulance we asked his name:

"Brothers, I am Galimov," he said.

 

[Trident1]

Sounds like they either had a control problem, or it tried to takeoff beyond it's maximum takeoff weight.

 

[Shifty]

Around 4:00PM the police saw an airplane on a runway trying to take off. "It barely took off the ground, hit a beacon antenna, went to the left and crashed through the trees," says Dmitry. "We lifted the anchor and sailed to the crash site. From our place it was not more than 300 yards. Oleg steered the boat and I reported to management about the catastrophe. In just a minute and a half we were at the scene. Part of aircraft was in the water, the rest was burning on the beach. A man was trying to get to the shore, he was in water up to his chest. At first we thought it was a fisherman, who happened to be at the scene, but then realized that it was one of survivors."

The police could not immediately bring the boat to shore because it was shallow. At this moment a man in the pilot's uniform appeared from the wreckage of the plane. He tried to pull out another man, also in the uniform. The cars (police, ambulance, etc.) from the airfield arrived quickly to the crash site. They took care of a man in uniform, Alexander Sizov was pulled out of the water by transport police officers.

The police staff returned to the first survivor. The man was conscious, was talking and moving confidently, but was badly burned. The police helped him to get into the boat. "He was severely burnt," says Dmitry Konoplev, "and we did not even know how to help him, but then picked him up by the elbows, wrists, and pulled aboard. He was freezing, and asked us to cover him. We called the doctors and drove to Yaroslavl. All along the way we talked to him trying to keep him from losing consciousness. He behaved very bravely, was able to adequately assess the situation. Just before being loaded into an ambulance we asked his name:

"Brothers, I am Galimov," he said.

Certain mods will find this amusing.

 

[luis1972]

R.i.p.