Ten years on from the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl plane crash

September 7th 2011, a day the hockey world will never forget. A plane carrying the KHL's Lokomotiv Yaroslavl crashed shortly after taking off. The team was on their way to Belarus to take on Dynamo Minsk to kick-off the 2011-12 KHL season.

Among those who we lost that day were former NHLers Pavol Demitra and Ruslan Salei, both of whom had long and successful hockey careers and were more than likely close to retiring.

Lokomotiv Yaroslavl has never played a game on September 7th in the ten years that have passed until today, when they take on Dynamo Misnk, who as mentioned, they were supposed to play on the day of the crash.

"For 10 years we haven't played on this date," club president Yuri Yakovlev at the team's pre-season press conference. "But now the time has come to give everyone – fans, players, coaches, reporters – the chance to come together in the arena to honour the memory of the guys we lost."

To mark the anniversary, a museum is opening near Yaroslavl's arena, and a documentary about the team called 'Heavenly Hockey' will premiere this week in Russian theatres.

Our thoughts are with the families of the players and coaches we lost on that day.

We will never forget the saddest day in modern hockey history. 10 years ago on this day the @HCLokomotiv @KHL team was wiped out in an airplane tragedy. Спи спокойно. RIP https://t.co/npsU8gAqaj

📷Pavel Lysenkov pic.twitter.com/Pw0PTiN9rq— IIHF (@IIHFHockey) September 7, 2021

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