A devastating plane crash in Russia killed almost an entire hockey team.
September 8, 2011- Flight recorders were being searched for and investigators were on site of the devastating plane crash that took the lives of 43 people on Wednesday in Russia. The hockey world was stunned and saddened as they received the grim news that 36 Lokomotiv team members had been killed in the fiery crash.
Brad McCrimmon, the team’s coach, who was from Canada, was among the victims as well as Pavol Demitra, a former star player for the NHL Vancouver Canucks. Only two survived the crash, Alexander Galimov, one of the hockey players and one crew member.
The jet crashed near Yaroslavl, a city located about 150 miles from Moscow. The team was on its way to Belarus for the opening game of the season. On takeoff, the plane did not gain enough altitude and hit a signal tower before crashing to the ground.
On Thursday the president of Russia, Dmitry Medvedev, visited the crash site, placed flowers nearby and paused to mourn those that died. He also was seen meeting with officials and rescue workers.
The league, in which the team played, the Kontinental Hockey League, announced that the season’s start would be pushed back to September 12. The president of the league also said there are plans underway to re-man the team of Lokomotiv. He said all of the teams should release three players to Lokomotiv, giving the team between 40 and 45 to choose from.
