Yaroslavl Lokomotiv Disaster & the KHL

Date of composition: Friday September 9th, 2011

A tragedy that some say was inevitable happened two days ago when a chartered Russian jet crashed shortly after take-off.  The plane was transporting the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl KHL hockey team to play the first game of the season.  All but 2 of the passengers and crew perished in the crash, 1 passenger and 1 crew member,  There is little to any chance that the athlete survivor will ever play competitive hockey again given third-degree burns over the majority of his body, including internal respiratory damage.

It is widely known that the jets chartered by the various KHL franchises are of insufficient quality to be permitted to fly European Union air space, so they can only be used for flights within Russia.  Current and former KHL players and coaches have spoken out about their concern for the safety of these vehicles. But one can only charter whatever planes are available, and the fleet available is lacking.  Hence the view that this was inevitable.  But it is what it is.  It will be interesting to see if authorities move to remedy the situation.  Finding newer, safer planes is not cheap nor is it easy, and most unfortunately is an awfully time-dependent process.

Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, for intents and purposes, lost their entire team.  The fans and citizens of Yaroslavl have lost their heroes and role models.

The president of the KHL announced that the remaining franchises will be encouraged to give two to three players to Lokomotiv in order for them to field a team.  This offer wasn't nearly good enough.  The proposed player exchange would likely have given Yaroslavl twelve 4th-line forwards, seven 3rd-pair defencemen and a couple of strictly back-up goalies.  (It is also possible that one or more of the franchises would offer more highly skilled but grossly overpaid players, which doesn't help a team in crisis either.)  There was no chance of them competing favorably, and the people of Yaroslavl don't need the burden of a loser for an entire season.  They've been through enough.  All this would really do is allow the KHL to maintain the integrity of its schedule and fulfill obligations to Russian television and radio networks.  In other words, it wasn't a charitable or generous offer, if was a act of self-interest.

I don't think anyone will be surprised when Yaroslavl turns down this 'generous' offer.  The fans would be getting sub-standard levels of play, played by athletes with whom they have no emotional or civic relationships.  The games wouldn't be celebrations of hockey and wouldn't provide any consolation to a grieving city.  Yaroslavl needs time to mourn, to accept and to move on and the only way they will achieve this is with a year off from competition.  After all, professional hockey is a form of entertainment, a distraction, and ultimately a game played by grownups.  It just does not compare in any way to the tragic loss of life that occurred nor could hockey ever compensate for the aftermath of the disaster.

Give them love, give them support, and give them understanding, but give them time to be alone in their grief and decide where and/or how they will proceed for next year.  It wouldn't hurt if the KHL made a better offer, either.

[Editors note, Sept. 10th, 2011: Yaroslavl did in fact reject the offer of replacement players and opted out of the 2011-2012 KHL season.]

[Editors note, Sept. 12th, 2011: The one player who survived the initial trauma of the plane crash, Alexander Galimov, succumbed to his injuries today in hospital.  Unfortunately, given the severity of his wounds this was the expected outcome.  Galimov was a Yaroslavl native son and his passing may hurt the troubled city more than that of any of the others.  Our continued sympathy to the families of the deceased, the people of Yaroslavl, and the Lokomotiv organization.]

[Editors note, Sept. 12th, 2011:  In my humble opinion another blow was struck today against the grieving people of Yaroslavl.  The president of the KHL today announced that Lokomotiv Yaroslavl will be relegated to a lower league to allow them to 'grow' from scratch.  There was no guarantee made that the team will be reinstated to the KHL by some future date.  In fact, there were no guarantees at all.  So, on top of all the trauma received by Yaroslavl they now have insult to add to the injury -- they will not have a major league franchise to look forward to...indefinitely.  Is this really the best that the KHL could do?  If it really is I believe there are only two possible conclusions to be made.  1. The owners of the other franchises are greedy, unsympathetic machines for rejecting or possibly never even suggesting a better solution.  2. The KHL is only a self-described major league; in other words, it is not a major league in any real sense of the word.  The word "bush" comes to mind.  Shame, shame.]