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Rangers prospect dies during Russian game

A New York Rangers draft pick, Alexei Cherepanov, died on Monday following a heart attack during a match in the Moscow region. He was 19.

The Avangard Omsk player collapsed while returning to the replacements bench toward the end of the third period of a match against Vitiaz Chekhov.

Cherepanov was taken to hospital but doctors were unable to save him. He had helped Russia win last year’s world junior championships and came third in the 2006/2007 Russian ice hockey championships.

A spokeswomen for the investigating agency of the Russian public prosecutor’s office said they would open an investigation, adding that Cherepanov was suffering from an ischemic heart disease, which is characterized by reduced blood supply to the heart muscle, usually due to coronary artery disease.

“We should investigate the case and thoroughly check how Cherepanov, who was suffering from an ischemic heart disease, was playing in the Continental League matches,” spokeswoman Yulia Zhukova said.

The head of the Russian ice hockey federation tutorial council Pavel Krasheninnikov, who also heads the legislating committee of the Russian lower house of parliament, the state Duma, suggested negligence was the cause of Che­re­pa­nov’s death.

It was reported on some Web sites that the ambulance that is usually at all games had already left the venue and had to be called back, delaying Cherepanov’s transit to hospital.

“We shall investigate the case thoroughly. I believe that criminal negligence is obvious,” Krasheninnikov said.
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