Alexei Cherepanov passes away

[armada 0]

I can't even express the numbness I'm feeling. Fuck all of the rumors... either way this is a tragedy and there is no need for that.

[phunky_monkey 6]

Terrible stuff... RIP

[ashtonhutch05 0]

Holy shit. I wanted to see this kid in the NHL more than any player drafted lately. And not saying it had anything to do with Jagr, but if it did that's sadly ironic. Either way, this is a sad day indeed, RIP.

[interpathway 9]

The Capitals hosted a 'chalk-talk' with Bettman before the game tonight, 10/13/08, and he all informed us there. Terrible to hear, and again best wishes to all hurt by this.

[RiSeOnFiRe 0]

http://www.beyondtheblueshirts.com/2008/10...view-of-events/

[Stampeder 2]

I don't understand for how much they can afford to pay these guys they can't actually care for their well being.

[lotus 2]

ugh....was still a little unreal to me until I saw the vid. That really fucked with my head.

R.I.P Alexei.

[Gummer12 134]

Interesting thought. The first thing that comes into mind after hearing that is David Carle and how they discovered his heart condition at the draft combine.

And also how Jiri Fischer collapsed on the bench...such a tragedy the disparity in medical care between countries.

[JJ Thompson94 0]

The way they just carried him out, you can almost see it was a lifeless body then.

[D-MaN88 0]

I guess there's really not much more that can be added, just so unreal and tragic. The video is hard to watch, especially when you know what's going on.

Just another thing us players don't really think about when we're out there playing. Life can be gone at any second of any day, live it and every shift like DarkStar50 said to the fullest.

R.I.P. Alexei

[DarkStar50 679]

This is a very good update from the New York Times blog writer who specializes in hockey from Europe.

http://slapshot.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/10/...-of-cherepanov/

[number21 3]

The detail in that article makes it tough to read.

It's awful someone so young was lost due to what sounds like basic unpreparedness in the arena.

espn.com says

Russian investigators said Cherepanov suffered from chronic ischemia, a medical condition in which not enough blood gets to the heart or other organs.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=3642466

Sad stuff.

[RadioGaGa 162]

(from a tsn.ca article) ---> http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=252611&lid...s=secStory_main

Grossman (his agent) said Monday that testing done on Cherepanov at the NHL combine before last year's draft didn't reveal any heart problems. He has been told that players in the KHL receive regular heart and blood tests, similar to those given in the NHL.

[RiSeOnFiRe 0]

this is unbelievably sad.. the kid was my age.

[JGraz15 53]

Weird…taken last night after he scored a goal:

http://images.sportsline.com/u/ap/photos/M...11_1024x768.jpg

and

http://images.sportsline.com/u/ap/photos/M...03_1024x768.jpg

Then later:

http://images.sportsline.com/u/ap/photos/M...11_1024x768.jpg

[psh 25]

Thanks Grazstrom. Those photos are amazing. What a slender thread we are all hanging on to, and the photos really bring it home. One moment racing down the ice and celebrating with your mates, and the next moment, gone...

[BackinAction 0]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWqcB-AB5-U&feature=bz301

surreal.

[Chadd 916]

Do you guys watch snuff films too?

[stick9 890]

Seriously, it's disturbing to watch. I felt sick watching and wish I never had.

[pantherfan 0]

Same, although I would have had time to click away I stupidly didn't, kinda disturbing maybe a warning next to the link incase people are as dumb as me and assume it's an interview or similar?

[Yurr 0]

all sons of Russia love their motherRussia ... why mother kills her children?!!!!!!!!!!!! ... PAIN! and cry ... sorry,guys

[camhockey16 5]

ill admit it - i watched the video too - i guess just morbid curiousity.

but i think it also is a good thing that there was a video - because it proves that the rink wasn't prepared and nobody can dispute it.

otherwise the russian league might be trying to cover up things to avoid bad press.

[DarkStar50 679]

Jaromir Jagr, who was left distraught by the incident on Monday, calling out in tears as the ambulance carrying Cherepanov left the arena, “Lyoshka, wake up!” spoke briefly to the Czech daily MF Dnes on Tuesday:

Q: How did the tragedy happen?

Everything happened suddenly and very quickly. Lyosha came off from the ice, sat on the bench. And died.

Q: It was written that Cherepanov’s death occurred after a collision with Jagr.

Some Russian journalist invented all this. Nothing of the kind happened. Maybe he wanted to attract readers by having the name Jagr in the headline. I didn’t play together with Lyosha. Both of us are right-wing forwards.

Q: Does this make you lose interest in hockey?

Very unpleasant. It will live forever in my memory.

Q: You were in fact friends with Cherepanov?

It’s terribly difficult for me to talk about it. Awful. This is a shock that defies description. I was very close with him.

[lotus 2]

Poor Jagr....

Q: Does this make you lose interest in hockey?

Very unpleasant. It will live forever in my memory.

I hate it when questions like that get asked.

I don't know how many of you have seen the videos of the various memorials being set up - but it's nice to see the support instead of the constant speculation to the exact circumstances surrounding his death.

[djinferno 2]

http://images.sportsline.com/u/ap/photos/M...11_1024x768.jpg

rip