The story is still evolving but several sources are now reporting that at least two people with Islander ties, Josef Vasicek and Brad McCrimmon are feared dead in a plane crash in Russia involving the KHL team Lokomotiv.
Vasicek played in all but one game of the 2007-08 season for the Isles, scoring 16 goals and adding 19 assists. McCrimmon, an Islander assistant coach in the 1990's, was named head coach of the team just a few months ago after a 30+ year NHL career as both a player and assistant coach.
The team has confirmed that the entire 37-man traveling group was on the plane, which was headed to its season opening game. Only 2 survivors are known at this time. However the dead have not yet been confirmed.
<<In his address to the Ufa crowd (at the KHL season opening game) , the KHL President Aleksandr Medvedev stated that all players and staff of the Yaroslavl team except one survivor, whose name is not unknown as yet, died in a plane crash near the city of Yaroslavl in Central Russia.>> (http://rt.com/sport/hockey/khl-season-hockey-team-013/)
Perhaps the best known player to a North American audience on the team's roster is Pavol Demitra, who scored over 300 goals in the NHL and won the Lady Byng Award in 1999-2000.
The team roster is listed here: http://en.khl.ru/clubs/lokomotiv
Vasicek played in all but one game of the 2007-08 season for the Isles, scoring 16 goals and adding 19 assists. McCrimmon, an Islander assistant coach in the 1990's, was named head coach of the team just a few months ago after a 30+ year NHL career as both a player and assistant coach.
The team has confirmed that the entire 37-man traveling group was on the plane, which was headed to its season opening game. Only 2 survivors are known at this time. However the dead have not yet been confirmed.
<<In his address to the Ufa crowd (at the KHL season opening game) , the KHL President Aleksandr Medvedev stated that all players and staff of the Yaroslavl team except one survivor, whose name is not unknown as yet, died in a plane crash near the city of Yaroslavl in Central Russia.>> (http://rt.com/sport/hockey/khl-season-hockey-team-013/)
Perhaps the best known player to a North American audience on the team's roster is Pavol Demitra, who scored over 300 goals in the NHL and won the Lady Byng Award in 1999-2000.
The team roster is listed here: http://en.khl.ru/clubs/lokomotiv
Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick, statistician on Islander home telecasts since 1982. Visit my blog: forever1940.blogspot.com and follow me on Twitter @ehornick
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