Plane crash tragedy hits close to home for Maple Leafs

kdotc · Sep 7, 2011

Tragedy touched the Maple Leafs dressing room for a second time in a week.

A Russian air craft carrying members of Yaroslavl Lokomotiv hockey team crashed today. The names of the dead have not been released, but a team official said the entire roster was on the plane.

Goalie Jonas Gustavsson mourned his friend Stefan Liv, a fellow goalie from Sweden listed on the team’s roster. Colby Armstrong was thinking about his former coach, Brad McCrimmon. McCrimmon, a former NHL player from Canada, is the only person confirmed dead so far.

Nikolai Kulemin, who said he knows all the players on the team, fretted in particular about ex-Maple Leaf Igor Korolev. Korolev, a Leaf for four seasons until 2001, and another ex-Leaf Alexander Karpovtsev, are listed on the team’s roster as assistant coaches.

It is not known whether they were on the plane.

Korolev played with Kulemin in the KHL in Magnitegorsk. Korolev’s final KHL season was 2009-10 with Lokomotiv. He became an assistant coach with Lokomotiv last year.

“Igor Korolev was my friend. I don’t know if he was on the plane. But I think he was,” said Kulemin. “I know all the guys, all young guys, I played junior with them,” added Kulemin. “I know everybody because I played in that league three years.

“It’s crazy.”

Korolev, by then finished playing in the NHL, counseled Kulemin on what it was like to play in Toronto.

“He said it was the best time of his career to play here,” said Kulemin.

Liv and Gustavsson became friends when the two trained with each other for the national team.

“It’s tough,” said Gustavsson. “You know it’s happened. It’s so hard to imagine what it was like to actually have it happen. It’s a big tragedy. I think about all the families and friends. Stefan was a great guy, a great goalie. He was loved by everyone.

“It’s a big loss for hockey overall and for everyone.”

A rumour swirled around hockey earlier that Armstrong’s brother, Riley, was on the plane. He wasn’t – he’s in Canada.

“It made me nervous to even think about that,” said Armstrong. “I got pretty scared.”

But Armstrong still was affected by news about McCrimmon, whom he got to know in during his time in Atlanta, had died.

“It’s a terrible thing that happened. I know (McCrimmon) has a family and kids. It’s crazy to think that it could happen. He was in Saskatoon when I was younger and a big part of the community. He helped me out a lot when I went to Atlanta. He’s quite the personality.”

Last week, former Maple Leafs player Wade Belak was found dead in his Toronto hotel room.
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http://www.thestar.com/sports/hocke...agedy-hits-close-to-home-for-maple-leafs?bn=1

here's the article more in depth about the accident
http://www.thestar.com/news/world/a...mon-among-43-dead-in-russian-plane-crash?bn=1

Pictures
TRULY TRAGIC...REST IN PEACE..TALENTS LOST =(

shinobi · Sep 7, 2011

i remember both of them playing here ...r.i.p.

Dan · Sep 7, 2011

Such a tragedy... This summer has been filled with nothing but tragedy in the hockey world...

Jeff · Sep 7, 2011

Dan said: ↑

Such a tragedy... This summer has been filled with nothing but tragedy in the hockey world...
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Thats so true.

~~

R.I.P. The entire hockey team.. dayum. :(

ab289 · Sep 7, 2011

Tragic ... RIP!

Aaron · Sep 13, 2011

3 enforcers died randomly and now a whole team... Wow.. The owned of the team is probably gonna sue the **** out of the airline. Insurance also has alot of work to do

shinobi · Sep 13, 2011

yea the only survivor died in hospital :(

kdotc · Sep 14, 2011

OMG I JUST REALIZED PAVOL DIMITRA WAS IN THE PLANE!!

lebayon · Dec 3, 2011

Such a tragedy... I was very suprise to hear that p demitra was on the plane as well

Plane crash tragedy hits close to home for Maple Leafs

kdotc 안녕하세요빅뱅K-Dragon입니다

shinobi PA ='(

Dan 8-D

Jeff 神之馬壯

ab289 Well-Known Member

Aaron Well-Known Member

shinobi PA ='(

kdotc 안녕하세요빅뱅K-Dragon입니다

lebayon Active Member