By AJ Petronzi
In Play on Facebook
What’s been dubbed the “Summer of Sorrow” in the NHL got a lot more tragic today when a plane carrying an entire KHL hockey team crashed minutes after takeoff killing 43 of the 45 people on board. The plane was full of former NHL players and prospects. The NHL had already lost three current players this summer.
In Play on Facebook
What’s been dubbed the “Summer of Sorrow” in the NHL got a lot more tragic today when a plane carrying an entire KHL hockey team crashed minutes after takeoff killing 43 of the 45 people on board. The plane was full of former NHL players and prospects. The NHL had already lost three current players this summer.
Brad McCrimmon had a long career in the NHL but after three years as an assistant coach in Detroit, he left North America to realize his dream to be a head coach. Known in hockey as “beast,” McCrimmon was due to debut as a head coach when things were cut short by the plane crash. McCrimmon leaves behind a wife and two children.
Ruslan Salei bounced around the NHL the last five years, but provided Detroit with much more than they had asked for last season when injuries landed him on the second line. Salei began fighting for a spot on the third line after taking a couple weeks off for the birth of his third child in early March. After not getting offered a contract by Detroit, Salei returned to the KHL where his professional career began. Described by one source as the “Legendary Belarusian Defender,” the plane was due to land in Salei’s hometown before crashing. He leaves behind a wife and three children.
