Remembering Alexei Cherepanov a Year Later

October 13, 2009   ·   Derek Felix   ·   Jump to comments

A year ago today, Alexei Cherepanov tragically died during a KHL game after collapsing on the Avangard Omsk bench. Just 19, the talented Russian who the Rangers took in the 2007 first round might’ve been a special player. How good was he? On Oct.3, 2008, he matched the club record with a six-game goalscoring streak. Unfortunately, none of that mattered 10 days later when his life was taken way too soon.

In the inaugural KHL season, he was off to a fast start. Playing alongside idol/friend Jaromir Jagr, he had eight goals and five assists for 13 points in 15 games, even scoring earlier on that ill fated heartbreaking day. They’d just finished a shift in which Cherepanov missed converting a two-on-one to which No.68 teased him on the bench when disaster struck. Minus a functioning defibrillator, late coming medics whose ambulance had left, were unable to save him despite reviving the kid twice. By the time they got to the hospital, it was too late.

One year later, it’s still hard to believe such a young life was lost due to gross negligence. Initially, they thought Cherepanov suffered from chronic ischemia. Most professionals concluded that it was caused by hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). In a more thorough investigation, they concluded that he battled myocarditis. A rare condition in which not enough blood pumps through the heart. Somehow, he was deemed fit enough to play professional hockey, passing all the tests done by Ranger and Omsk team doctors.

Not surprisingly, a chemical report on blood and urine showed that Cherepanov doped, taking a banned stimulant nikethamide three hours prior to games over several months. The Investigative Committee never concluded what it was used for but it doesn’t take a brain surgeon to figure that part out. There also was talk that he shouldn’t have even been playing anyway due to missing required service in the Russian army.

As of today, nobody has ever been held responsible for his untimely death. They did indefinitely suspend the Omsk President, General Manager and team doctor with another doc given a two-year ban due to health related issues. Yikes.

Even a year later, the league still has been slow to respond to dangerous injuries like the concussion Martin Kariya sustained in a KHL game last month. The younger brother of NHL star Paul Kariya was not even carried out properly, with them using a red tarp instead of a much safer stretcher. If they want to be taken seriously, such lackadaisical responses cannot continue. It’s a total embarrassment that they haven’t learned yet. Will it take another life lost due to such irresponsibility? I hope not.

Today, the KHL (Continental Hockey League) is remembering Cherepanov. It’s still extremely sad and makes me want to cry. I’ll never forget that day because we were about to leave for Devils-Rangers at MSG. We had on NHL Network and they were airing something on the 1994 team when across the bottom news feed, I noticed it right away while Dad and bro didn’t. The game that night became so irrelevant. We went and they won for him. But it’s hard to put into words the emptiness I felt.

Chery’s been gone a year already. His No.7 is retired by Avangard Omsk in tribute. Where does the time go? While we go on day by day, just imagine the incredible pain and sadness his family has to deal with. Every day we have is a blessing cause you never know when it’s your last. For Alexei Cherepanov, that day came too soon.