A. Cherepanov dies at 19

Alexei Cherepanov (left)
image: Scotty Hockey Blog

Yesterday, Alexei Cherepanov passed away from heart failure. He died on the bench during the 3rd period of a game where he was playing for Omsk of the KHL. The New York Rangers prospect was 19 years old.

Apparently, the heart defibrillator was not in working order and the ambulance had already departed early, since it the game was in the third and final period. By the time the ambulance returned, it was too late.

This raises the question: has hockey learned a lesson from the Jiri Fischer incident - or did the hockey world simply dodge a bullet? Similar cases have occured to players such as Sergei Zholtok, and one would think more strenous medical care would be placed on keeping these potentially life-saving apparatuses in viable condition.

More news should be expected in the coming days.