Lokomotiv head coach, 52-year old Canadian Brad McCrimmon, has been confirmed dead in the tragic plane crash outside Yaroslavl that took the lives of at least 43 people.
Drafted by the Boston Bruins at the age of 20, Canadian Brad McCrimmon had 18 NHL seasons under his belt, and was considered an outstanding defenseman. As captain of the Calgary Flames, he helped his team win the coveted Stanley Cup in 1989.
His impressive 1,222-game total was marked with 81 goals and 341 assists.
The 52-year-old native of Saskatchewan was an assistant coach to the Detroit Red Wings for the last three seasons. McCrimmon accepted the position of head coach for three-time Russian champions Lokomotiv only four months ago, in May 2011.
It was not his first time in the Russian city – eight years ago, the then-coach of the Canadian junior hockey team won gold in the Golden Ring town and was later more than happy to make Russia his home.
This would have been the first game of the hockey season that McCrimmon’s team would play, and he was certainly ready for it. In an interview given just a few months before his tragic demise, he said his motto was “looking forward” – and that is exactly what he and his team were planning to do.
Brad McCrimmon
29.03.1959-07.09.2011