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In Memory of Alexei Cherepanov

by Ethan Calof

Tragedy has struck hockey again, and it is with sadness and shock that I relay the horrible news of the passing of Alexei Cherepanov at the age of 19.

I cannot honestly say that I knew or know much about Alexei Cherepanov the player or the person. I know that he was a very highly-rated draft prospect who slipped to the New York Rangers with the 17th overall pick thanks to the Cold War-esque lack of a transfer agreement between the NHL and the Russian Superleague. I know that he broke Pavel Bure's record for most goals as a rookie in the RSL and had more points in his rookie season than Alex Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin, and Ilya Kovalchuk could manage. I know that he was dominant in international series and his injury was largely responsible for Russia falling on their faces against Canada in the 2007 Super Series. According to his agent Jay Grossman, "He was a great kid. 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."

However, it is regardless how much or little I know about him. The bottom line is, the life of a young man with such a promising future has been stolen from him playing the game he loved. Cherepanov died of a sudden disturbance of the heart's rhythm, or commotio cordis. A commotio cordis occurs as a result of a blunt, non-penetrating object to the precordial region that can cause an arrythmia. It is very deadly, but is treatable with quick action from a medical team and the use of a defibrillator and other cardioactive drugs.

When I first read the news, I immediately thought of Jiri Fischer. Fischer was a defenseman for the Detroit Red Wings who collapsed after going into cardiac arrest on the bench during a game in 2005. Fortunately, Fischer survived, thanks mainly to the swift administration of CPR and the use of a defibrillator. What exactly Fischer suffered from was unclear, but it was most likely a type of arrythmia that may or may not be similar to what Cherepanov suffered. He was seemingly saved by the medical attention he quickly received.

Sadly, this was not the case for Cherepanov.

According to TSN, the defibrillators in Omsk Arena where he was playing were not in working order. Also, the ambulance that is normally present at all games had departed the arena well before and had to be called back, taking about fifteen minutes. For such a medical event, every second counts. It does not take a genius to put two and two together.

If I were Jaromir Jagr (Cherepanov's teammate), Alex Radulov, or any other NHLer that has left their friendly confines of North America, I would be immediately regretting my decision to jump to Russia . Omsk may be one of the richest clubs in the league; legendary billionaire Roman Abramovich reportedly owns a portion of the club. The fact that he could not (or would not) shell out for working defibrillators means that most other clubs with less money most likely have just as ineffective medical personnel and equipment. This underscores the fact that has been pervasive through Russia since Czar Nicholas II was murdered by the Bolsheviks in 1918: the people are merely potential assets.

I heard a speech from the daughter of a former USSR skier. He was winning championships and was cared for by the government... until he suffered a career-ending leg injury. Then it was all yanked out from underneath him. He lost his home, his job, and a few years later treatment for his cancer. Solzhenitsyn wasn't the only one. Luckily, he and his family fled to America and his cancer was cured. However, he nearly died because of the lack of care his government had for him. The Berlin Wall may have fallen, but it appears the Soviet mentality hasn't.

Likewise with the defibrillators. The greedy owners want to get the best players and have them dominate, yet when problems arise, they are hung out to dry. And thus it goes in Russia . Sadly, another young man's life and promising future disappeared because this lack of concern did not.

Submitted on Jan 09

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