YAROSLAVL, Russia – Russia’s Emergency Situations Ministry has announced that at least 43 people were killed when a Yak-42 aircraft crashed upon take-off near Yaroslavl, on the Volga River, about 150 miles northeast of Moscow. 
The majority of victims were members of the Kontinental Hockey League club, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. The plane was carrying the team to Minsk, the Belarusian capital, for a Thursday night game against Dynamo Minsk to open the 2011-12 KHL season. Lokomotiv has confirmed that the entire main roster, plus four players from their youth team, was on the plane. Eight crew members are also among the dead, according to reports. According to Russian aviation officials, two passengers survived the crash, but are in critical condition. One of the survivors is said to be Alexander Galimov, a 26-year-old forward who has been with the team since 2004. Galimov has been been hospitalized with burns to 80-percent of his body. The crash occurred at 12 noon Moscow time and the weather was sunny and clear. Reports indicate that the plane was unable to reach a safe altitude fast enough upon take-off and clipped a fence and a navigation antenna before it crashed to the ground, broke apart and burst into flames. The current Lokomotiv roster included several players with NHL ties. The team’s head coach, Brad McCrimmon, played in the NHL and most recently served as an assistant coach with the Detroit Red Wings before joining Yaroslavl in May. Defensemen Karel Rachunek, Ruslan Salei, Karlis Skrastins and forwards Pavol Demitra and Josef Vasicek all have considerable NHL experience. Forward Alexander Vasvunov played 18 games with the New Jersey Devils this past season. Former NHL center Igor Karolev and defenseman Alexander Karpovtsev are listed as assistant coaches for Lokomotiv. McCrimmon, 52, played defense for six NHL teams appeared in 1,222 regular-season games during his 17-year pro career, including the Boston Bruins, Philadelphia Flyers, Calgary Flames, Detroit Red Wings, Hartford Whalers and Phoenix Coyotes. He registered a total of 403 points (81 G, 322 A) and 1,416 penalty minutes. After retiring from the game in 1997, McCrimmon served as an assistant coach with the New York Islanders, Calgary Flames, Atlanta Thrashers and the Red Wings. He also served as head coach of the Western Hockey League’s Saskatoon Blades. Lokomotiv Yaroslav was founded in 1949 as the team of the Railways Ministry. They are one of Russia’s leading hockey teams and came runner up in the Kontinental Hockey League in 2008 and 2009. In 1997, it took the Russian Superleague title and won back-to-back championships in 2002 and 2003. The KHL’s 2011-12 season opened on Wednesday with a game between Salavat Yulaev Ufa and Atlant Moscow Oblast , but that contest was suspended when word of the tragedy broke. A moment of silence was observed in the arena before fans and players left the rink. The following is the text of the KHL statement regarding the tragedy in Yaroslavl: We are only beginning to understand the impact of this tragedy affecting the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl club and the international hockey community. First and foremost, our condolences go out to the families and friends of the players, coaches and staff lost in today’s tragedy. We know that there are many in the KHL family who will be grieving with us. As the investigation of this tragedy progresses we will work closely with investigators, government officials, club executives and the Yaroslavl community. We are working to find an appropriate way to honor this club and begin the healing process from the deep loss so many of us feel today. The KHL is now faced with the decision of how to proceed with the loss of one of its 24 member teams at the start of the season. Reports indicate the league will postpone all games until further notice. Contact the writer at robert.keith@prohockeynews.com
