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The Mysterious Deaths of Russian Hockey Players: A Disturbing Trend
In recent years, several Russian hockey players, often very young, have lost their lives in incomprehensible circumstances. Heart attack at the age of 22, poisoning, falling from a balcony, drowning, disappearance, death in full sleep, train accident, and death of hypothermia- these are just a few examples of the tragic deaths that have occurred. The mysterious circumstances surrounding these deaths have raised several questions and concerns, including criminal suspicions, safety and supervision of players, and possible use of doping products.
Digging through several media outlets, including many in Russia, Le Journal traced 30 hard-to-understand deaths that have occurred since a first player from the country died. Everything indicates that the list is longer. But for several players, the information was non-existent or very poorly documented. We have therefore only identified cases that could be confirmed with several sources.
Professor of history at UQAM, Jean Lévesque specializes in international sport and Russian politics. He says he is “surprised” by the nebulous number of deaths we have compiled. “Just hockey players? […] It is suspicious, it is sure that it is an overrepresentation compared to other sports,” he commented, during a telephone interview.
Our research also shows that the official version of the cause of death is often heart attack. Again, this is surprising, according to Professor Lévesque, who recalls that these are “high-level athletes”. Death from a heart attack can certainly happen, but it’s pretty rare in other sports, or indeed anywhere except Russian hockey. Mr. Lévesque recalls the case of Danish soccer player Christian Eriksen in 2021. But the latter survived and it was shown that he was suffering from a rare heart anomaly.
Several deaths from heart attacks raise questions about the possible use of doping products, while Russia has been hit with numerous sanctions over the years for systemic doping.
In the 1990s, the Russian mafia also infiltrated hockey. This phenomenon has been linked to the disappearance of several players, managers and team employees in Russia. “The athletes were extorted by the mafia, so if you refused to pay your odds…”, continues the history professor. In 1996, the administrative director of the team hockey club of the Red Army was assassinated. In the same year, the general director of Spartak Yekaterinburg was shot dead.
With the KHL today, “maybe the mafia is trying to go after individual players,” adds Mr. Lévesque. But it’s not like it was in the 1990s, he says. The KHL, “It’s controlled by the state and the oligarchs who, in are able to protect themselves from the mafia.”
Beyond the criminal suspicions of several of these deaths, it is also the safety and supervision of the players that raise a lot of questions. Abakar Kazbekov, a young London Knights forward, died days before Christmas after falling from a building. Valeri Karpov, who played for four years in the Anaheim Ducks organization, was killed in his house during a fight. Igor Misko, a striker who was playing in the KHL with Saint Petersburg, suffered a heart attack during the summer. Denis Martyniuk collapsed while exiting an elevator while playing with the Kristall of Saratov in Russia. Cause of death according to the authorities: heart attack. Igor Evdokimov, after a long career with the Russian team from Leningrad, suffered a heart attack. Aleksei Cherepanov, Rangers’ first-round pick in 2007, collapsed on the bench for his KHL team, the Avangard of Omsk. Cause of death: heart failure. Anatoly Ustyugov, a Red Wings fourth-round pick only played in Russia from 1994 to 2004, when his life came to a tragic end. According to available information, he was murdered during a robbery. Oleg Vevcherenko, the defender who played in Russia from 1984 to 2003, slipped from his balcony and fell nine stories.
These are just a few examples of the many tragic deaths that have occurred in recent years. The circumstances surrounding these deaths are suspicious and raise many questions. The safety and supervision of players in Russia need to be addressed to prevent further tragedies in the future. It is a disturbing trend that needs to be investigated thoroughly to ensure the safety and wellbeing of Russian hockey players.
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News Source : The Bobr Times
Source Link :Why did these 30 Russian hockey players die?/