Ex-Red Wing Brad McCrimmon Among Dead in Russian Plane Crash

The Detroit News is reporting that former Detroit Red Wing Brad McCrimmon, who served as an assistant coach for Detroit last season, was among those killed in a plane crash involving the Kontinental Hockey League team Lokomotiv early today.

McCrimmon, 52, left the Red Wings during the summer to assume head coaching duties for Lokomotiv, the report said.

According to the report, Red Wings coach Mike Babcock and his wife went to McCrimmon's Northville home, where his wife Maureen, daughter Carlin and son Liam still live, but no one was home.

According to the report, the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry said a Yak-42 plane crashed just after leaving an airport near the city of Yaroslavl en route to Minsk, Belarus. The plane was carrying 45 people with 37 passengers — reportedly including the team's entire roster and four youth team players — and eight crew members, the report said. There were only two survivors of the crash, Russian player Alexander Galimov and a crew member, the report said.

Former NHL defenseman Ruslan Salei, who spent last season in Detroit, was on the team's roster, but there are conflicting reports about whether Salei was on the plane that crashed, according to SB Nation Detroit. Unconfirmed reports have indicated Salei was awaiting the team's arrival in Minsk when the Russian jet crashed.

Former Red Wings goaltending prospect Stefan Liv also was among those confirmed dead, according to the Detroit News report.

NHL.com also is reporting that former NHL star Pavol Demitra was killed in the crash.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman released a statement today in response to the fatal crash.