In one of the darkest day in world sports since the Munich air disaster of 1958, the international hockey community has shown unity beyond belief.
At 4.02 pm local time on Wednesday, the plane carrying the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) outfit, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, came down just seconds after takeoff, killing 43 of the 45 people on board.
With the hockey world in mourning this afternoon, I urge the average fan to think about how little and how much sport can mean at this precious time.
In a week dominated by recaps of the 9/11 tragedy, as the tenth anniversary nears, the footage of another group of innocent lives being lost in such a cruel fashion will leave even the average viewer feeling sick.
But where does this leave the sports fan who is thinking – “What if this was my team?”
Well, in the end it doesn’t matter and neither does sport; it is just one minuscule aspect of our lives.
A miniscule aspect that controls so much of our emotion, which is why for many, this story will hit home.
Support from throughout the hockey world has been phenomenal, with New York Ranger Brandon Prust summing up what people worldwide are feeling.
“The hockey world mourns yet again. Please God, we can’t take much more. Thoughts and prayers in Russia and to all friends and family.”
With each death or piece of bad news this summer, fans have willed opening night closer, believing that will be the turning point.
Each story that will be found in the wreckage of the Yak-42D will leave us numb; we must embrace this as an opportunity to move forward together.
Regardless of the cause of the crash, Russian aviation authorities must look at safety standards of many of the charter planes’ late 1960s models.
With the KHL being the second biggest league in the world, it is tough to imagine it coming to a standstill despite recent events.
With all games being postponed until September 12, there is very little time to consider what will happen on the ice.
Earlier this morning, it was confirmed that the KHL are going to either allow for the entire Lokomotiv Yaroslavl youth team to play for the rest of the season, or (and it is more likely) each remaining KHL team will give Lokomotiv three players from their roster. (At time of writing more than 30 players have already volunteered to join Lokomotiv, with roster positions to be confirmed early next week)
While I’m sure that there are players who would jump at the chance to reconstruct one of the biggest teams in the league, with that there would be the added pressure of being a replacement for a group of local heroes, whose lives were cut tragically short.
As unfortunate a way as it was for it to happen, the KHL has hit prominence with those unaware of its prowess, while the hockey community will work forever to ensure those 43 lives are remembered.
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