In memoriam

Longtimers here know I do a feature on the Russian hockey league, the KHL.  You might also remember I am a fan of Lokomotiv Yaroslavl.  Today, the team jet crashed into a Volga riverbank and burned.  45 people, including coach Brad McCrimmon, my favorite player, Josef Vasicek, and all but two people on the plane, were killed.

Only one player- Alexander Gallimov- and a crew member survived, and they are not in good shape.

I am devastated, shattered.  I don't know what to say.  The KHL doesn't, either.  A press release said that right now they were concentrating on the tragedy and would figure out how to handle the rest of the season later.  Good for them.  Medevev is already there, and Putin sent the Transportation minister to find out what went wrong.

The thought process is that the league will somehow rebuild what was one of the league's marquee franchises.  But you can't replace Vasicek.  Or Pavol Dmitra.  Or any of the other lives that were lost.

I don't know how this will affect my Eurohockey coverage this year.  One blogger on International Hockey Forums posted, " "They played hockey, loved what they did, and died amongst brothers". RIP Lokomotiv.

I have also learned that the particular plane that crashed was due to be taken out of service in another 23 days.  And that 8 bodies have yet to be found and identified.  34 bodies and parts of another have been found.

I am trying to confirm a report that Gallimov has also died either en route or at the hospital- he had burns to 80% of his body.  I had to translate the news story from channel Russia 24, a state-owned media outlet, who do report that Alexander has died.
 

Goodbye, Josef.  Goodbye guys.