New York Rangers: Their tragic past

A top KHL team wiped out

On September 7, 2011 a plane took off from Russia’s Yaroslavl International Airport headed to Minsk. It hit a tower and did not gain sufficient lift, crashing about two miles from the runway. On board was Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, a team in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) and four players from the Loko 9 Juniors team of the Minor Hockey League.

Two former Rangers, as well as a former draft pick, perished in the crash.

Alexander Karpovtsev, an assistant coach with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, was part of the 1993-94 championship Rangers team, and one of the first Russian-born players to have their names engraved on the Stanley Cup (along with Alex Kovalev, Sergei Zubov, and Sergei Nemchinov).

Karel Rachunek played for New York in two different seasons, and Jan Marek was selected by the Rangers in the 8th round (243rd overall) of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, though he never made it to the big show.

Also among the dead were several other former NHL players, including Pavol Demitra, Josef Vasicek, and their coach, Brad McCrimmon, who won a Stanley Cup with Calgary.

Artem Anisimov of the New York Rangers was a native of Yaroslavl and knew most of the players who died, including boyhood pal Alexander Vasyunov. Marian Gaborik, who had recently lost one best friend in Derek Boogaard, lost another in Pavel Demitra.

Goalie Stefan Liv was a teammate of Henrik Lundqvist and Carl Hagelin on the 2006 gold medal Swedish team at the 2006 Turin Olympics.

The entire team’s roster was wiped out, except for forward Maxim Zyuzyakin and goaltending coach Jorma Valtonen who weren’t on the flight, instant members of the Waylon Jennings Good Luck Club. Another honorary member of that club is ex-Rangers goalie Steve Valiquette. After playing one year for the Russian team CSKA (Red Army), he turned down an offer to play for Yaroslavl shortly before the plane crash.

Let’s hear from the readers. What athlete’s untimely death affected you? Roberto Clemente? Thurman Munson? Kobe Bryant? Junior Seau? Dale Earnhardt?

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