Thats just awful. I feel so bad for Jagr, they made it sound like he and Alexei had become very close, and even if the two of them colliding had nothing to do with his death, that will always be on his mind.
He was too young to die, and the KHL should be ashamed that this happened with no working AED on site, and an ambulance that left early.

Posted by Kevin from Pittsburgh on 10/13/08 at 07:35 PM ET

the collision was discredited by jagr himself (according to Darren Dregger on the Bill Watters show on AM 640 today), and I think the TSN article has also been updated to reflect that… I saw this video and another one which showed Cherry’s last shift and he did not have any major collision as far as I could see

Posted by bcrt on 10/13/08 at 07:43 PM ET

Wow. That’s just amazing that they didn’t even have a stretcher. I wonder how many NHLers that have made the jump to the KHL will have second thoughts based on the treatment he received. I’m not a doctor, and i don’t know if they could have saved him if he was in a hospital in New York when this happened, but as a player i have to imagine them carrying me off the ice that way if i was in similar condition, or severely concussed, etc.

Horrible occurrence either way. Condolences to the family and team/league mates in the KHL. Wouldn’t wish what happened to him or what they are going through on my worst enemy.

Posted by Paul NIcholson from Nashville, TN on 10/13/08 at 07:47 PM ET

A good piece from James Duthie,

I spent much of Thanksgiving Monday thinking about Sergei Zholtok.  And Mickey Renaud.  And Jiri Fischer.  And Jaromir Jagr.  And of course, about Alexei Cherepanov.  The mind works this way after a tragedy that is unthinkable, and yet sadly familiar.

more

Posted by Paul from Motown Area on 10/13/08 at 08:37 PM ET

I am as shocked and saddened by this tragedy as the next guy, but people-

It’s RUSSIA.

Is it really surprising they didn’t have first-rate medical equipment- or any medical equipment, for that matter- on hand?

This was a horrific event and an unthinkable tragedy; Cherepanov was great player and, from all accounts, a good guy.  I can’t say, though, I’m really surprised at how it went down after the trouble started…

Posted by mudshark from Divetown, Colorado on 10/13/08 at 08:55 PM ET

And that video is terrible to watch…

Posted by mudshark from Divetown, Colorado on 10/13/08 at 08:57 PM ET

@mudshark
Maybe i’m naive, but yeah i am surprised that it was that bad. It’s Russia, not Estonia. We’re talking about a modern-ish world power. I wouldn’t expect the US standards, and wasn’t surprised that there wasn’t an ambulance there. But good grief, primary schools in the US (and i assume Canada) keep stretchers around, even if there aren’t doctors that know how to use them.

If i was a player in the KHL that had the ability to jump back to North America, i would be running out of the door as fast as i could after this.

Posted by pwnicholson from Nashville, TN on 10/13/08 at 09:09 PM ET

Incredibly heartbreaking.  I don’t know why I watched that video.  I should have known better.  He was so young.  I can’t imagine how his family, friends, and teammates must be feeling right now.  In fact, I can’t imagine how his teammates must have felt seeing it happen right in front of them.  My thoughts are with them.

Jiri Fischer works really hard to make sure that hockey arenas have AED’s because that is what saved his life.  I only wonder if that would have saved Alexei too. :( Hopefully this will encourage teams in Russia to buy more medical equipment so maybe next time they will have the means necessary save someone’s life.

Posted by Kellie from Baltimore, MD on 10/13/08 at 09:12 PM ET

AEDs cost $1500. There is no excuse not to have them in every arena.
This video shows the trainers were not even doing CPR.

Posted by w2j2 on 10/13/08 at 09:20 PM ET

They probably weren’t doctors. Trainers most likely. They possibly didn’t know what to do since normal healthy young people don’t die of heart problems.
And as for the AED’s, I heard a report that said they had one, but it didn’t work. Again that goes more back on the league, to make sure that not only do they have ones available, but that they also have them checked now and then.
I also agree that if I were a player with the possibility to get out of the KHL and move to the NHL, i’d be on my way out, even if it were a lot less money. If this is how bad their medical treatment is, just imagine if a players throat had been cut by skates?
There is no guarantee that any amount of medical attention could have saved his life, but the fact that there appears to have been NO medical attention is inexcusable.

Posted by Kevin from Pittsburgh on 10/13/08 at 09:32 PM ET

Yeah, I read on Blueshirt Bulletin that they had an AED but it’s battery was dead.  With all the recent incidents like this, from Renaud in juniors last year and Fischer, you’d think teams would be up on this stuff.

I’m still in shock and I should NOT have watched that video, especially right before going to bed.

Posted by K24 from NYC on 10/13/08 at 09:38 PM ET

After watching it a second time, i’m also shocked that the arena was still blasting loud music like they were trying to keep the crowd hyped up. Very glad that the crew in the Detroit arena didn’t make the same choice for Jiri.

Posted by pwnicholson from Nashville, TN on 10/13/08 at 09:54 PM ET

TSN is reporting that he has passed away.

Prayers go out to the family, friends, and players…

Posted by Ryan from Syracuse, NY on 10/13/08 at 10:02 PM ET

Even if the trainers aren’t expecting young people to have heart attacks, they should be trained and prepared to administer CPR anyhow.  If for nothing else, then because severe blows to the sternum or head CAN cause the heart to stop in anyone of any age.  It’s hockey—that IS a probability, however small, and however young the players are.

This is a horrible tragedy, and my heart goes out to Cherepanov’s family.  I really hope that the laxity in on-site medical care did not cost this young man his life.  I’ve read elsewhere that he had started bleeding from his nose—if that’s the case, it’s likely that he had a dissecting aorta or pulmonary artery aneurysm.  If it turns out that that is the case, then really, this terrible tragedy could have happened right in the middle of a emergency cardiac intensive care unit and he’d still have died within minutes.  There’s no chance whatsoever with that situation.

Whatever the upshot turns out to be, this is a very sad day for hockey, and a terrible, terrible loss for his loved ones.

RIP Cherry, wish we had a chance to see you at the Garden.

Posted by Scavenger on 10/13/08 at 10:51 PM ET

Completely agree with most of the sentiments here.

EVERY major professional sports league in the world, from the NHL, to the NFL, even to the largest circuit of professional cricket in Sri Lanka should have multiple AEDs on site and easily accessible by trained medical staff within seconds notice.

All major sports leagues, at LEAST all major hockey leagues, should’ve learned from what happened with Jiri Fischer. It’s a crying shame that they didn’t.

Posted by Nathan on 10/14/08 at 08:13 AM ET