Former Devils Vasyunov, Rachunek Among Those Dead In KHL Plane Crash
A plane carrying the KHL’s Lokomotiv Yaroslavl team crashed shortly after takeoff today, killing most on board.
R.I.P.
The plane was carrying the team’s main roster, and four players from their youth team. They were on their way to Minsk for their first game of the season.
Among the players on the team were Alexander Vasyunov and Karel Rachunek.
Karel Rachunek played for the Devils in ’07-’08. He played in 47 games for the team, netting four goals and nine assists. He was a +3 with 40 PIMs. He played in 371 NHL games with the Devils, Rangers and Senators. He was 32 years old.
Alex Vasyunov was selected 58th overall by the Devils in the 2006 NHL Draft. He played in 43 games for Lokomotiv from the ’05-’06 season to the ’08-’09 season.
He made his debut with the Lowell Devils in ’08-’09, scoring 15 goals and 13 assists in 69 games.
After another season with Lowell and 50 games with Albany last season, he finally made his NHL debut with the Devils on October 23rd, 2010, against Buffalo.
Vasyunov scored his first NHL goal on November 12, 2010 against the Edmonton Oilers.
He re-joined Lokomotiv Yaroslavl on June 27, signing a one–year contract with the team. He was 23.
Here is Lou Lamoriello’s statement on the crash.
First pictures from the crash site. Site translated to English.
There are reports of up to three survivors.
The team’s full roster (from Wikipedia):
# |
Nat |
Player |
Pos |
S/G |
Age |
Acquired |
Birthplace |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 57 |  |
Vitaly Anikeyenko | D | R | 24 | 2005 | Kiev, Ukrainian SSR |
| 39 | |
Mikhail Balandin | D | L | 31 | 2011 | Lipetsk, Russian SFSR |
| 21 | |
Gennady Churilov | C | L | 24 | 2005 | Magnitogorsk, Russian SFSR |
| 38 |  |
Pavol Demitra | C | L | 36 | 2010 | Dubnica nad Váhom, Czechoslovakia |
| 20 |  |
Robert Dietrich | D | L | 25 | 2011 | Ordzhonikidze, Ukrainian SSR |
| 11 | |
Alexander Galimov | RW | L | 26 | 2004 | Yaroslavl, Russian SFSR |
| 74 | |
Marat Kalimulin | D | R | 23 | 2010 | Togliatti, Russian SFSR |
| 28 | |
Alexander Kalyanin | RW | L | 23 | 2008 | Chelyabinsk, Russian SFSR |
| 83 | |
Andrei Kiryukhin | RW | L | 24 | 2005 | Yaroslavl, Russian SFSR |
| 23 | |
Nikita Klyukin | C | L | 21 | 2005 | Rybinsk, Russian SFSR |
| 64 | |
Ivan Krasnov | F | L | 19 | 2009 | Yaroslavl, Russia |
| 1 |  |
Stefan Liv | G | L | 30 | 2011 | Gdynia, Poland |
| 15 |  |
Jan Marek | C | R | 31 | 2011 | Jindřichův Hradec, Czechoslovakia |
| 32 | |
Sergei Ostapchuk | LW | R | 21 | 2007 | Novopolotsk, Belorussian SSR |
| 4 | |
Karel Rachůnek (C) | D | R | 32 | 2010 | Gottwaldov, Czechoslovakia |
| 24 |  |
Ruslan Salei | D | L | 36 | 2011 | Minsk, Belorussian SSR |
| 37 |  |
Karlis Skrastinš | D | R | 37 | 2011 | Riga, Latvian SSR |
| 69 | |
Pavel Snurnitsyn | F | L | 19 | 2009 | Yaroslavl, Russia |
| 13 | |
Daniil Sobchenko | C | L | 20 | 2007 | Kiev, Ukrainian SSR |
| 17 | |
Ivan Tkachenko (A) | LW | L | 31 | 2001 | Yaroslavl, Russian SFSR |
| 3 | |
Pavel Trakhanov | D | L | 33 | 2011 | Moscow, Russian SFSR |
| 81 | |
Yuri Urychev | D | R | 20 | 2009 | Yaroslavl, Russian SFSR |
| 63 | |
Josef Vasicek (A) | C | L | 30 | 2008 | Havlíčkův Brod, Czechoslovakia |
| 18 | |
Alexander Vasyunov | LW | R | 23 | 2011 | Yaroslavl, Russian SFSR |
| 35 |  |
Alexander Vyukhin | G | L | 38 | 2010 | Sverdlovsk, Russian SFSR |
| 72 | |
Artem Yarchuk | LW | L | 21 | 2010 | Yaroslavl, Russian SFSR |
| 61 | |
Maxim Zyuzyakin | F | R | 20 | 2008 | Novokuznetsk, Russian SFSR |
Thoughts are with the family and friends of all of those affected by the crash.
Categories: Player News
1 Comment »
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September 7th, 2011 at 2:33 pm
Lamoriello’s statement pretty much nailed it on the head… “Nothing could prepare the hockey community for the devastating news it received today. The tragic plane crash involving Lokomotiv Yaroslavl of the Kontinental Hockey League has left all of us beyond words.”
So young…