Announcement

**Imran Siddiqui** · October 13, 2008, 19:48

Do they know what happened?

**Guynemer** · October 13, 2008, 20:04

Must have been hypertrophic cardiomyopathy or some odd arrhythmia.

**reismark** · October 14, 2008, 00:15

Originally posted by Guynemer
Must have been hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

It's always this when it happens with the young athletes. It's gotten past the sad stage to the shameful part at this point.

Every professional league on the planet should make a test for this condition a mandatory part of any player's efforts to enter the league. Same for all student-athletes at any NCAA-sanctioned college. If the athlete tests positive he or she shouldn't be cleared to compete until they are in treatment. This condition is easier to test for and to treat than one might think, and it's a damn shame that it isn't being done and individuals with promise and lives ahead of them are leaving this plane of existence way too soon.

**Asher** · October 14, 2008, 00:22

I was under the impression that checking for this was mandatory in the NHL, but the tests are not perfect.

And since this kid never played an NHL game, I'm not sure if that matters.

**notyoueither** · October 14, 2008, 00:36

These things are tested for in the NHL at the combine.

There's the kid who was ruled out at the last draft due to a heart condition.

**Solver** · October 14, 2008, 08:33

Now they're saying that not having an ambulance on site was likely to cost him his life, immediate access to resuscitation equipment would have likely saved him.

This is sad.

**Asher** · October 14, 2008, 10:13

It really is.

NHL rinks need to have the defibrillator on-site with easy access, it saved one life a couple years ago during a Red Wings game. They also have to have an ambulance there at all times, if one leaves another one is called...

Russia needs to get its ass in gear here.

**Lord Avalon** · October 14, 2008, 11:29

RIP

Russian official questions emergency response in Cherepanov's death

Updated: October 14, 2008, 8:10 AM ET

MOSCOW -- A Russian lawmaker said Tuesday that rising hockey star Alexei Cherepanov, a first-round draft pick of the New York Rangers, may have died due to negligence on the part of paramedics who responded to an emergency call.

Cherepanov, 19, died Monday during a Continental Hockey League game outside of Moscow.

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

Pavel Krasheninnikov, who sits on the Russian Hockey Federation's supervisory council and is a member of the State Duma, said there was no ambulance on duty at the arena where Cherepanov's Russian team, Avangard Omsk, was playing.

He asserted that emergency workers took too long to respond and didn't have a defibrillator, a machine used to shock the heart. It was unclear how much time it took paramedics to respond.

"There are elements of negligence here," Krasheninnikov said in televised comments.

When asked Monday about the availability of a defibrillator or whether medical equipment that might have helped Cherepanov was in working order, coach Bruce Fleming told ESPN.com he had been asked not to comment by team officials.

An earlier report on the tragedy had suggested the ambulance usually stationed at the arena had left and had to be called back, delaying Cherepanov's transport to the hospital. That report could not be independently verified.

Cherepanov's agent, Jay Grossman, told ESPN.com he'd heard the same reports of problems with medical equipment and with ambulance availability but said he didn't know the details for sure.

Moscow regional investigator Yulia Zhukova said officials would look into why Cherepanov was playing with ischemia, and said officials could open a criminal investigation.

Former Rangers captain Jaromir Jagr played a shift with Cherepanov and was talking to him on the bench shortly after they left the ice, when Cherepanov suddenly collapsed, said a Rangers spokesman who talked to Jagr.

"He passed out on the bench and they couldn't revive him," Fleming told ESPN.com Monday night.

Cherepanov, 19, the 17th overall pick in the 2007 entry draft, was sitting between Jagr and forward Pavel Rosa on the bench during a game against Vityav Chekov on the outskirts of Moscow when he suffered an apparent heart attack.

"He just laid back, passed out and went kind of white," Fleming said.

He said a team of doctors tried to revive Cherepanov but couldn't. Cherepanov was taken to a local hospital, where further attempts to revive him failed.

Fleming said he would meet with team management in the morning to determine the next course of action vis-à-vis whether there would be an investigation into the circumstances surrounding Cherepanov's death.

There was no collision that preceded the collapse, the spokesman said, but few other details were available. Cherepanov scored the first goal of the game and had eight in 15 contests this season, his third with Avangard Omsk.

"It was really kind of a surreal thing for the players," Grossman told The Associated Press. "He was skating in on a 2-on-1 with Jaromir and then they came back to the bench. Jaromir was talking to him and he told him he has to score on that play. The next thing you know, he collapsed.

"[Jagr] went with him into the dressing room area and they revived him for some time and then he didn't make it," Grossman said.

Amateur video taken at the game showed players and coaches gathered around the Avangard bench, then carrying a player who appeared to be Cherepanov.

Grossman 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.

The Rangers announced Cherepanov's death shortly before they played at home against the New Jersey Devils on Monday night. New York coach Tom Renney said his club was not aware of any health issues with the young player.

"He's a Ranger and I think it'll have an impact on people," Renney said. "We're going to have to deal with it in our own personal way."

Cherepanov surprisingly slipped to the Rangers during the 2007 NHL draft and they grabbed him with the 17th pick. The talented forward dropped because of concerns about his signability and the potential difficulty in getting him to leave Russia.

"He was an exceptionally talented kid," Grossman said. "He played in the Russian Elite League, in the men's league, even before he was drafted which in and of itself is an achievement. He was a self-motivated kid that had an inner-confidence about him."

The Rangers maintained a good relationship with Omsk and the club's general manager, even though there has been feuding between the NHL and Russia's KHL.

New York assistant coach Mike Pelino recently returned from a one-week trip to Russia where he watched Cherepanov play and then dined with him and Jagr.

"I was shocked when I heard. I thought it must be a misprint or something because he just had so much going for him," Pelino said. "He was someone who I was really excited about and thought, 'Wow, we did get something special here.'

"He had things to work on. We felt he had to become a little stronger still, he had to probably become a little bit more aware defensively. But as far as raw talent went and the ability to score, he was great."

In the NHL, each team undergoes an annual audit to ensure it is in compliance with a range of emergency medical procedures that must be in place in every building, deputy commissioner Bill Daly told ESPN.com Monday.

Among the requirements are that medical staff on hand must be certified in advanced trauma life support. There is also a requirement for ambulance service on site.

The ability of teams to respond to medical emergencies was brought into sharp focus in November 2005 when Detroit Red Wings defenseman Jiri Fischer went into cardiac arrest on the bench in Detroit.

The NHL also reviewed its procedures after Florida Panthers forward Richard Zednik suffered a potentially deadly neck injury during a game in Buffalo in February when he was cut by a teammate's skate.

ESPN.com hockey writer Scott Burnside and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Official: Deceased NHL prospect had heart issues

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

A Russian lawmaker said Tuesday that rising hockey star Alexei Cherepanov, a first-round draft pick of the New York Rangers, may have died due to negligence on the part of paramedics who responded to an emergency call.

**Flubber** · October 14, 2008, 13:51

Originally posted by Asher
It really is.

NHL rinks need to have the defibrillator on-site with easy access, it saved one life a couple years ago during a Red Wings game. They also have to have an ambulance there at all times, if one leaves another one is called...

Russia needs to get its ass in gear here.

ITs never a bad idea to have a defibrillator around wherever large numbers of people gather. Applying a shock in the first couple of minutes increases survivability immeasurably . I know our office building has them and the only question would be if the person gets found and the equipment deployed quickly enough

But the bottom line in these tragedies is that often there is nothing to be done. I am personally acquanted with two individuals that died at home (while not exerting themselves at all) of what the medical professionals believe were heart rythym issues. Heck one guy was on the phone at the time and died without making an untoward sound.

**Solver** · October 15, 2008, 12:14

Originally posted by Asher
It really is.

NHL rinks need to have the defibrillator on-site with easy access, it saved one life a couple years ago during a Red Wings game. They also have to have an ambulance there at all times, if one leaves another one is called...

Russia needs to get its ass in gear here.

Even in Russia, that's actually standard procedure to have an ambulance on-site but apparently the owners of this particular hockey hall hadn't signed a contract to have one present at every game, so sometimes an ambulance was present, sometimes not.

Thumbs up to the club for deciding to pay the entire sum of Cherepanov's contract to his parents.

**Asher** · October 15, 2008, 12:27

Is it standard procedure, or is it required?

It sounds like it's the former, not the latter.

**Solver** · October 15, 2008, 13:07

That's right, at least from what I've read. There's apparently no such legal requirement, though hopefully this case will make them introduce one.

**Asher** · October 16, 2008, 11:29

Just before he left on the road trip which he died on, he posted this blog entry (translated from Russian):

"Hello, Avangard fans! My name is Alexei Cherepanov. Today I'll begin keeping my blog. In it I'll answer your questions and talk with you. Right away I want to say thanks to everyone who supports us. The arena is always full, and that really helps us play! I hope we'll achieve a lot together this season!

Right now we've got three games on the road. This will be our first road trip under [new Avangard coach Wayne] Fleming's leadership. When he came to the team, he said: 'We're on a new course now. Let's all give it everything we've got and go forward together.' Fleming's practices are shorter but more intensive. We're giving special attention to our game on defence. Training for away games still goes as usual.

They told us recently to arrive at games in business suits. This was done on the initiative of the 'Council of Four,' as they called it in the press. It was made up of Sasha Svitov, Dima Ryabykin, Jagr and Anton Kuryanov. They had a talk with the coach and this decision was reached. This form of clothing provides discipline. I know that some of the guys had to buy suits. I didn't have this problem -- there are two suits hanging in my closet already, since the draft. So I only had to buy an overcoat.

An important thing has happened this season -- Jagr arrived. I generally think of him as my fourth coach. He always gives me advice if something's not working out. Often we'll stay after practice and work on our shots. With the other guys, too, he's always ready to come help out. Everyone can see that he really lives for the team's game and wants to be a champion.

The atmosphere on our team is amazing! The guys all encourage each other. By the way, I've made a little bet with Vitya Alexandrov. We've bet a chocolate bar that I'll be the best player at the upcoming junior championships. He doubts it. All right, then, we'll see which of us has the chocolate after the championships. So everything's fine with me. And I hope my point streak lasts. I'll devote all my efforts to this!

That's all for now. We'll catch up after the trip. Till next time!"

**Lord Avalon** · November 12, 2008, 16:45

Portion of Russian league players tested; 5 found to have heart defects

MOSCOW -- Heart defects have been found in five players in the Russian ice hockey league since the death of rising star Alexei Cherepanov, an official said Wednesday.

Russia's Continental Hockey League ordered the tests after Cherepanov, 19, collapsed and died last month from a heart condition while playing for his club Avangard.

Cherepanov was a New York Rangers draft pick.

Russian league spokesman Marat Safin said 49 players have undergone testing with their clubs, and five turned out to have problems.

He said that figure could rise because 18 players are still to be checked. Results from the total sample of 67 players are expected Friday.

Safin said there was no reason to suspect any form of drug abuse or doping among the players

Tests find 5 of 49 KHL players have heart defects

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=3697719

Heart defects have been found in five players in the Russian ice hockey league since the death of rising star Alexei Cherepanov, an official said Wednesday.

Announcement

19 year old NY Rangers first-round pick dies during game

19 year old NY Rangers first-round pick dies during game

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