Ranger prospect Cherepanov dies during KHL game

[BadKarma]

http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=252547&l...=topStory_main

New York Ranger prospect Alexei Cherepanov collapsed on the bench during Omsk's Kontinental Hockey League game on Monday and died a short time later.

Omsk head coach Wayne Fleming said Cherepanov collapsed on the bench during the third period of the game and did not see anything that happened on the ice that may have contributed to it. He also said medical authorities tried to get Cherepanov's heart beating again after it had stopped.

"They tried to get his heart started again but they couldn't," he explained.

Sources in Russia tell TSN that the ambulance that is normally at all games had already departed and had to be called back.

It is not clear exactly how long it took for Cherepanov to be transported from the rink to the hospital but one source in the arena told TSN it was, "probably 15 or 20 minutes."

There are also questions as to whether defibrillators at the arena were in good working order, though no further details are available.

"We are extremely saddened by the tragic passing of Alexei," said New York Rangers president and general manager Glen Sather in a statement. "On behalf of the New York Rangers organization, I would like to extend our deepest sympathies to his family. Alexei was an intelligent, energetic young man, with tremendous talent and an extremely bright future."

Cherepanov was drafted 17th overall by the Rangers in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.

"He was a great kid," Cherepanov's agent Jay Grossman told TSN. "He had a great smile and was an outstanding player with a great future on and off the ice. It's both shocking and devastating news for all of us. "

He had seven goals and 12 points in 14 games played this season in KHL, including the first goal in Monday's game. Cherepanov played 106 games during his career in the KHL/RSL (Russian Super League), all with Avangard Omsk and scored 40 goals with 29 assists over that span.

He set the RSL record for goals by a rookie with 18, beating the previous mark held by Pavel Bure (17 goals), during the 2006-07 season. His 29 points in his rookie campaign was more than Evgeni Malkin, Alexander Ovechkin and Ilya Kovalchuk scored during their first initial RSL seasons.

Cherepanov also helped lead Russia to a Bronze Medal at the World Junior Championships in 2008, scoring three goals and adding three assists with a plus-three rating over his six games at the tournament.

This saddens me deeply as a Rangers fan, a hockey fan, and as a person. He was 19 years old, still a kid with a long life ahead of him. Hockey has been full of tradgedy the last few years with Dan Snyder and Luc Bourdon also dying tragically. My prayers are with his family. ; ;

[Mizango]

I just read that on ESPN, that's horrible. 19 and goes into cardiac arrest after returning to the bench, just wow.

[Bweigelt]

So tragic, this is eerily similar to what happened to Jiri Fischer although in his case the Detroit medical staff was able to revive him. Second kid under 21 to pass away while trying to make his way to the NHL in the last 6 months.

[Ace-o-fire]

is it wrong i giggled a bit cuz i hate the rangers... i know it's bad and everything. but fuck the rangers man.

but yea it's sad. it wasn't something they could check for it just happened like that.

[Sepukku]

It happens. Football players die too, often from heat exhaustion. Sometimes an enlarged heart issue can be the problem for athletes' deaths, SI did an article on it this past year. Honestly, I'd guess at least 100-500 people died around the world in the time I wrote this response, so I'm not getting down about it.

[Oxyminus]

is it wrong i giggled a bit cuz i hate the rangers... i know it's bad and everything. but fuck the rangers man.

but yea it's sad. it wasn't something they could check for it just happened like that.

besides the fact that i'm a lifelong rangers fan, fuck you. this is clearly much more important than what team drafted him

[Deadmeat]

i don't like the rangers, but this saddens me. another young potential star dead at an early age.

[Colm]

Terrible. =\ The worst part of this death is that probably could've been prevented. The paramedics left the arena EARLY, reports say there was no defibrillator on the bench, players had to carry him off the bench into the dressing room. Hopefully the KHL learns its lesson from this.

[Tricen]

He was poisoned by the Russians. Polonium 2210, I'm tellin ya.

[archibaldcrane]

In Soviet KHL, puck shoots you!

too soon?

[Norelco]

Word is that his teammate Jagr inadvertantly elbowed him in the chest.