Russia Mourns Top Ice Hockey Team Killed in Plane Crash

Fans of Russian ice hockey team Lokomotiv Yaroslavl light candles in memory of the victims of a plane crash, outside the Arena 2000 stadium in Yaroslavl, Russia 07 Septmeber 2011. Photo by BGNES

Russia mourns the deaths of 43 people including top ice hockey players who perished in a hellish plane crash on Wednesday.

Three days of mourning have been declared in Russia's Yaroslavl region, starting September 9, ITAR-TASS has informed.

Fans and players across the world have also paid tribute to the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl team the day after the plane, which was heading for the team's  first match of the season, crashed  shortly after taking off from an airport at the city of Yaroslavl, about 250km (160 miles) north-east of Moscow.

Pavol Demitra, a former Kings forward and a three-time NHL All-Star, former Kings prospect Jan Marek, former Czech NHL players Josef Vasicek and Karel Rachunek, former NHL defenseman Karlis Skrastins and Coach Brad McCrimmon are among those killed

On Wednesday, witnesses saw the plane, a Yak-42, burst into flames shortly after taking off.  Investigators found wreckage of the plane in the Volga river.

A lucky member of the team – Ruslan Salei – was not aboard the plane as he arrived in Minsk ahead of the squad.

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