KHL Hockey Team in plane accident

[kshymkiw83]

I know there are some hockey fans on here, and I didn't see anything posted. The KHL team Lokomotiv Yaroslavl was involved in a plane crash yesterday, and the entire team was on board. All but 1 player died in the crash, to include all the coaches as well.

 

http://en.khl.ru/news/2011/9/7/24152.html

 

Yaroslavl plane tragedy

 

Russian hockey has been stunned by news of a plane crash which has killed almost all of Lokomotiv Yaroslavl’s team as they travelled to Belarus for their opening fixture of the KHL season.

 

A club spokesman confirmed that the aircraft was carrying the club’s players to their game with Dinamo Minsk, which was due to be played on Thursday.

 

Among those on board was newly-appointed head coach Brad McKrimmon, recently arrived from Chicago Black Hawks to take charge of the team for the 2011-12 season. Two members of the World Championship-winning Czech team of 2010, Jan Marek and Josef Vasicek, were also among those in the crash.

 

The team’s Yak-42 crashed on take-off from Yaroslavl’s Tunoshna airport shortly after 4 pm Moscow time. Preliminary information from Rosaviatsiya suggests that the plane failed to gain height after leaving the runway and collided with a navigation beacon before coming to earth about 2 km from the airport.

 

Shocked silence

As news filtered through to Ufa, where the league was celebrating the start of the new season with the traditional rematch of last season’s grand final, the game was abandoned.

 

KHL president Alexander Medvedev interrupted play 15 minutes into the first period to announce the tragedy to a packed arena, which responded in shocked silence.

 

After a brief meeting between the players and officials of hosts Salavat Yulaev, guests Atlant Moscow Region and representatives of the KHL, the game was postponed.

 

That decision was greeted with respectful applause from the crowd, while Medvedev went on to pledge his support for the Yarolslavl club.

 

“We will do all that we can to ensure that top level hockey continues in Yaroslavl and that Lokomotiv remains one of the strongest clubs in the Kontinental Hockey League,” he said.

 

Condolences

The tragedy brought sympathy and support from Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who is heading to Yaroslavl for an annual political forum.

 

His press secretary, Natalya Timakova, announced that the forum’s program would change and Medvedev would begin by visiting the scene of the disaster and holding an emergency meeting with senior transport officials.

 

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin ordered Russia’s transport minister, Igor Levitin, to go straight to the crash site.

 

International Ice Hockey Federation president Rene Fasel said it was "the darkest day in the history of our sport".

 

“Despite the substantial air travel of professional hockey teams, our sport has been spared from tragic traffic accidents,” Fasel added. “But only until now. This is the darkest day in the history of our sport. This is not only a Russian tragedy, the Lokomotiv roster included players and coaches from ten nations.”

 

Fasel will arrive in Russia on Thursday in a pre-arranged visit, and told IIHF.com he would take the opportunity to mourn with the Russian hockey authorities.

 

The Russian Hockey Federation also published a message of sympathy on its website: “The FHR expresses its deepest condolences to the bereaved families and relatives, fans and the entire hockey community”.

 

Lokomotiv had been traveling to Minsk for its opening fixture against Dinamo, due to be played on Thursday evening.

 

A decision on whether to play Thursday’s other hockey games has not yet been taken.

 

Very sad day, there were a few greats on that plane. Pavol Demitra, Karlis Skrastins, Ruslan Salei, Bob McRimmon, etc...

[jeffro]

Meanwhile in russia....

http://meanwhileinrussia.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/less-xbox-360c2b0-more-xbox-7-2c2b0.jpg?w=497&h=508

http://meanwhileinrussia.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/3.jpg?w=497&h=334

http://www.woosk.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/russia.jpg

http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTtf_uwTfsM41TCPfkLa3Qn0O82omaJhA-uYwFxT98tovFt0Ec4ig

http://assets.meanwhilein.org/hashed_silo_content/494/f1d/e58/resized/meanwhile-in-russia-c13a6b.jpg

http://img.anongallery.org/img/5/0/meanwhile_in_russia.jpg

http://www.memecenter.com/uploaded/1Meanwhile-in-Russia_29b418fde5b515a5ae0dab039035d088.jpg

[kshymkiw83]

Reality Check

 

7 Sep

 

My day was supposed to be over a little after noon today, but as I dropped off my last client, the office asked me if I could do one more run at 2 o’clock. Being the team player that I am, I said I would. I had 90 minutes to drive back to our company lot, switch into a van and then go to the pickup. Plenty of time to stop for some lunch and mess around on my phone. Peace of cake.

 

After making the vehicle change, sucking down a burger and fries from BK, and washing it down with a Coke Zero, I proceeded to my pickup location, a full 40 minutes ahead of schedule. I am a happy chauffeur……….for the moment.

 

I locate the residence that I need to be at, but being that the pickup is at 2, and it is only 1:20, I park a couple blocks away, per usual, and pickup my Thunderbolt to check FB and do some surfing.

 

First check of FB is littered with numerous comments and links about the tragic plane crash in Russia. 40+ people dead. NHL players, past and present, coaches, prospects and flight crew. Very sad news. I had been reading and hearing about it, off and on, all day. The ramifications reaching virtually all parts of the hockey world, and in less than 5 minutes, ME.

 

After my FB pitstop, I open up the trip ticket info on my phone, to see who I am picking up. Aaaah, another Dallas Stars transfer to the airport. That explains the van. These hockey guys always have big bags because they are usually traveling overseas. The last name, Skrastins. Never heard of him. No first name. I’ll have to google him. Google search: Skrastins Dallas Stars.

 

The rush that comes over my body is unexplainable. I am just staring at my phone. He was on “that” plane and he is dead. I am sitting 200 yards from his house and I realize what this pickup is all about. I am about to pick up the family of this man. A family that went to bed last night without a care in the world. A family that had no plans to board a Lufthansa flight to Europe when they woke up this morning. This explains why it was added to my schedule at 12:15 today. Is this for real?

 

It’s finally time to go down the street and pull in the driveway. Within a couple of minutes, a man comes out to let me know that the family will be out in a few moments. He alerts me to the situation, and tells me not to offer condolences because the children don’t know, and then he returns to the house. I can’t even imagine what his widow must be going through. My heart weeps for her. I am so glad this will be a short ride.

 

Then it happens. 2 girls, about 2 and 5 come running out the door, completely elated about the trip they are about to go on. Long blonde hair, blue eyes and giant smiles. I nearly burst into tears. My body gets tight. Every second feels like an eternity. The pain inside me is almost unbearable. I don’t even know these people and I am on the verge of a breakdown, right in their driveway. Knowing that these girls are utterly oblivious, to the true nature of their trip, is agonizing. I can’t help but think of my own children, and what it would be like if they woke up tomorrow and I was gone forever. Devastating! The wife and mother in law finally come out and we are on our way.

 

The entire drive the widow is on the phone. She, as well as the rest of the family, are not speaking English. Although, this would seem trivial, it is not. I don’t understand a single word she is saying, but the pure pain in her voice tells the whole story. The mother in law is keeping the kids entertained in the back of the van, while she sits up front and seems to be getting everything in order, over the phone. I sense sorrow, trepidation, confusion, and dispair. Just a few of, what I imagine have been, the many emotions that she has experienced since she woke up today. Again, my heart weeps for her.

 

We finally arrive at DFW airport, and a liaison from Lufthansa is waiting curbside for us, with a security escort. He “quietly” offers his condolences to the widow while the girls are still getting out of the van. Personnel grab all their bags, and they are off. Girls still giddy about the trip. I, however, am a mess.

 

I barely get 100 feet away from the terminal when I lose it, crying uncontrollably. I feel stupid, but I don’t care. I can’t get the image of those girls out of my head. The idea that they have no clue that they will NEVER see their father again. What’s worse, is that they probably haven’t seen him in a couple of weeks, and expect to see him when they get where they’re going. Utterly heartbreaking. What a way to end the day.

 

So, as I sit here recapping this gut-wrenching afternoon that I have experienced, I would like to end it with a final thought. It makes no difference to a child what happens to you when you die. They are going to be devastated either way. Just make sure they know what they mean to you. Remind them EVERYDAY. Hug them EVERYDAY. Kiss them EVERYDAY. Most importantly, love them EVERYDAY. Unconditionally. Because, you never know what tomorrow will bring.

 

http://achicksperspective.wordpress.com/2011/09/07/reality-check/

 

This is insane. I don't know how I would handle that. Would be tough.

[Not Brian]

I heard about this on the radio.. crazy stuff. They said the survivor is in "grave condition"

[AWW$HEEET]

I heard about this on the radio.. crazy stuff. They said the survivor is in "grave condition"

 

Sounds like he'll take this experience....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

to the grave..

 

http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQkBUEsYtCy20btmxZ5xoa0I57eMB0QxWA1qCoKVaZ1Tq2fhYQN4g

[kshymkiw83]

I heard about this on the radio.. crazy stuff. They said the survivor is in "grave condition"

 

http://www.sportsdaily.ru/pictures/items/0011/4243/IMG_8652_s.jpg

 

That is a picture of him when he arrived to the hospital. something like 80 or 90 percent of his body was covered in 3rd degree burns. His upper respitory system had 3rd degree burns as well

[KennyFKINPowerz]

Awful stuff.

[verse]

Really sad story, felt like someone punched me in the stomach when I heard. But this is why I don't post serious things on CR anymore.

[BloodRed]

Yeah I heard about this yesterday. Another sad day for hockey around the world. And it has been tough enough with the 3 players the NHL has already lost this summer.

[HotCarl]

Sad story... i think it'll make NHL players contemplating the jump over to the KHL have a second thought about it. That and their medical staff/support at games is fucking terrible.

 

Saw a video of a player who had a head/nech injury on the ice. the medics rolled him onto a TARP and carried him off the ice... a fucking tarp. KHL is a fucking joke, this only proves it. Head the plane was over 30 years old also i feel terrible for those players' families'.

[kshymkiw83]

Sad story... i think it'll make NHL players contemplating the jump over to the KHL have a second thought about it. That and their medical staff/support at games is fucking terrible.

 

Saw a video of a player who had a head/nech injury on the ice. the medics rolled him onto a TARP and carried him off the ice... a fucking tarp. KHL is a fucking joke, this only proves it. Head the plane was over 30 years old also i feel terrible for those players' families'.

 

The plane was built in 1993, which for an aircraft is VERY young.

 

The Jackets fly on a plane built in the 70's.