Entire KHL team Lokomotiv Yaroslavl killed in plane crash

Big Ev wrote:can you imagine if this happened to the Sens plane? What the hell would we do?

wprager wrote:Galimov (one of the survivors) has burns on 80% of his body and is not expected to survive.

Some reports are saying the plane was carrying more than its allowed weight. It failed to reach require altitude on takeoff and hit a communication tower.

SpezDispenser wrote:

Big Ev wrote:can you imagine if this happened to the Sens plane? What the hell would we do?

Are we talking the entire organization, or just the NHL players? If it's just the NHL players, the guys from Bingo would have to step into big roles, plus Murray would have to sign a glut of remaining UFAs like Stillman, Nylander, Samsonov, Dumont (who I think Murray might sign anyway) etc. etc. etc.

As Tim mentioned, with the amount of travel teams do, this was unfortunately bound to happen at some point. Such a sad day...

SpezDispenser wrote:

Big Ev wrote:can you imagine if this happened to the Sens plane? What the hell would we do?

Are we talking the entire organization, or just the NHL players? If it's just the NHL players, the guys from Bingo would have to step into big roles, plus Murray would have to sign a glut of remaining UFAs like Stillman, Nylander, Samsonov, Dumont (who I think Murray might sign anyway) etc. etc. etc.

As Tim mentioned, with the amount of travel teams do, this was unfortunately bound to happen at some point. Such a sad day...

Big Ev wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:

Big Ev wrote:can you imagine if this happened to the Sens plane? What the hell would we do?

Are we talking the entire organization, or just the NHL players? If it's just the NHL players, the guys from Bingo would have to step into big roles, plus Murray would have to sign a glut of remaining UFAs like Stillman, Nylander, Samsonov, Dumont (who I think Murray might sign anyway) etc. etc. etc.

As Tim mentioned, with the amount of travel teams do, this was unfortunately bound to happen at some point. Such a sad day...

I meant the fans. I wouldn't want them to just put in random players, I don't think I'd watch.

Michallica wrote:
I don't know if it will be that easy....my guess is that the team cancels the season but the league may carry on. At such short notice I just don't think a team will be able to operate.

Former Senators defenceman Brendan Bell, who started last year in the KHL, said travel in Russia is a lot different than North America.

"This is scary and hard to grasp," said Bell. "I didn't have any personal friends on that team but this has really shaken me up. I don't know if the way that they travel is up to our standards, but it's certainly not unsafe.

"I'm sure it's just one of those things that could happen anywhere. You see the way teams travel over there and you know it could have been you. You don't think of it when you get on a private jet here and you're travelling in style."

Senators defenceman Sergei Gonchar was at a loss for words.

"I knew a few guys on that team. I'm speechless," said Gonchar.

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. There were just two survivors among the 45 passengers and crew on board, including player Alexander Galimov and Alexander Sizov, a member of the flight crew. Earlier reports had said that 36 of the 37 passengers had died.

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.

wprager wrote:Galimov (one of the survivors) has burns on 80% of his body and is not expected to survive.

Some reports are saying the plane was carrying more than its allowed weight. It failed to reach require altitude on takeoff and hit a communication tower.

Big Ev wrote:I've never flown....now I'll be thinking of this.