Pavol Demitra Pavol Demitra ( November 29 , 1974 – September 7 , 2011 ) was a Slovak professional ice hockey player . He played sixteen seasons in the National Hockey League ( NHL ) , two in the Czechoslovak First Ice Hockey League ( CFIHL ) / Slovak Extraliga and one in the Kontinental Hockey League ( KHL ) . Known as an offensive player , Demitra was a first - or second - line forward throughout his career . He died in a plane crash along with his teammates from Lokomotiv Yaroslavl prior to the 2011 – 12 KHL season . After a season with HC Dukla Trencin in the CFIHL , Demitra was selected 227th overall in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft by the Ottawa Senators . He subsequently left Slovakia to join the Senators organization and played three seasons between the NHL and the American Hockey League with Ottawa ' s minor league affiliate , the PEI Senators . Demitra began the 1996 – 97 season in a contract holdout with the Senators , resulting in him being traded to the St . Louis Blues in November 1996 . After spending the majority of his first season with St . Louis organization in the International Hockey League , he secured a regular roster spot with the Blues in 1996 – 97 . Demitra spent his most successful seasons with St . Louis , being named to three NHL All - Star Game s ( 1999 , 2000 and 2002 ) and winning the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy in 2000 . He achieved the 30 - goal mark three times and the 90 - point mark once as a Blue . Due to the 2004 – 05 NHL lockout , Demitra returned to HC Dukla Trencin for one season . Upon returning to the NHL the following year , he signed as a free agent with the Los Angeles Kings . After one year with Los Angeles , he was traded to the Minnesota Wild , where he played on the team ' s top line with winger Marian Gaborik . In July 2008 , he became an unrestricted free agent and signed with the Vancouver Canucks . Demitra left the NHL after a two - year stint with the Canucks , joining the KHL ' s Lokomotiv Yarolsavl ; he spent one season with the team . In international competition , Demitra began his career with Czechoslovakia . He won a gold medal at the 1992 IIHF European U18 Championship and a bronze medal at the 1993 IIHF World U20 Championship . After the country split in 1993 , Demitra began competing for Slovakia . Beginning in 1996 , he played in six IIHF World Championship s , winning a bronze medal in 2003 and captaining his country in 2011 . In 1996 and 2004 , Demitra participated in the NHL - sanctioned World Cup . He was also a three - time Olympian and played his first tournament in 2002 . Four years later , he captained Slovakia and in 2010 , where he led all scorers in points and was named to the tournament ' s All - Star Team . Playing career . Czechoslovakia . Demitra began playing at the men ' s level with ZTS Dubnica in Czechoslovakia ' s second - tier league ; he recorded 23 points ( 13 goals and 10 assists ) over 28 games . The following season , Demitra joined HC Dukla Trencin of the premier Czechoslovak Extraliga in 1992 – 93 , where he scored 11 goals and 28 points in 46 games . After the season , Demitra was drafted by the Ottawa Senators in the ninth round , 227th overall in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft . He came to be considered one of the best draft steals in NHL history . Ottawa Senators . Demitra began the 1993 – 94 season with the Ottawa Senators , and in his first NHL game on October 9 , 1993 , Demtira scored on St . Louis Blues goaltender Curtis Joseph for his first ever NHL goal and point in a 7 – 5 loss . He would play in 12 games for Ottawa during the season , scoring a goal and two points . Most of the 1993 – 94 was spent with the Prince Edward Island Senators of the AHL , as Demitra had 18 goals and 41 points in 41 games for the team . Demitra spent most of the 1994 – 95 with PEI , where in 61 games , Demitra had 26 goals and 74 points to finish third in team scoring . In five playoff games , Demitra had seven assists . Demitra also spent time with Ottawa , as he scored four goals and seven points in 16 games . He began the 1995 – 96 season with PEI , as in 48 games , Demitra put up 28 goals and 81 points , which earned him a promotion back to the NHL . With Ottawa , Demitra had seven goals and 17 points in 31 games . To start the 1996 – 97 season , Demtira was a contract hold - out with Ottawa . He played a game with HC Dukla Trencin of the Slovak Extraliga , getting a goal and two points , before joining the Las Vegas Thunder of the IHL . With the Thunder , Demitra had eight goals and 21 points in 22 games . On November 27 , 1996 , the Senators parted ways with Demitra , as Ottawa traded him to the St . Louis Blues for Christer Olsson . St . Louis Blues . The St . Louis Blues assigned Demitra to the Grand Rapids Griffins of the IHL , where in 42 games , Demitra had 20 goals and 50 points . He was called up to the Blues , and played his first game with the club on March 17 , 1997 , getting no points in a 3 – 2 loss to the Phoenix Coyotes . Demitra scored his first two goals with St . Louis on April 3 , 1997 , scoring twice against Tommy Salo in a 5 – 5 tie with the New York Islanders . He finished the season appearing in eight games with St . Louis , scoring three goals . Demitra made his NHL playoff debut on April 16 , 1997 , recording his first playoff point , an assist , in the Blues 2 – 0 win over the Detroit Red Wings . On April 22 , 1997 , Demitra scored his first playoff goal , beating Red Wings goaltender Mike Vernon , and added two assists in a 4 – 0 win over Detroit . Overall , Demitra had a goal and four points in six playoff games . Demitra made the NHL full - time in 1997 – 98 , as he played in 61 games with St . Louis , scoring 22 goals and 52 points to finish fifth in team scoring . In 10 playoff games , Demitra had three goals and six points . The 1998 – 99 was a break - out season for Demitra , as he finished tenth in NHL scoring with 89 points , as he scored 37 goals and added 52 assists in 82 games . Demitra appeared in the 1999 NHL All - Star Game held in Tampa Bay , Florida , scoring a goal for the World team in a 8 – 6 loss to North America . In the playoffs , Demitra added five goals and nine points in 13 games . Demitra continued his success in 1999 – 2000 , as he scored 27 goals and 75 points in 71 games to lead the Blues in scoring once again . Demitra played in the 2000 NHL All - Star Game held in Toronto , Ontario , where he scored two goals in a 9 – 4 World victory over North America . Demitra also scored his first career hat trick , scoring three goals against the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim on February 12 , 2000 in a 6 – 3 Blues victory . Demitra suffered a season ending injury on March 24 , 2000 , and missed the playoffs . After the season , he was awarded the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy after he accumulated only eight penalty minutes throughout the season . Injuries cut short Demitra ' s season in 2000 – 01 when he appeared in only 44 games with St . Louis . He scored 20 goals and 45 points to finish fifth in team scoring . He scored a hat trick and added two assists for a five point game against the New York Rangers on December 20 , 2000 in a 6 – 3 win . Less than a week later , on December 26 , 2000 , Demitra had another high scoring game , scoring two goals and four points against the Columbus Blue Jackets in a 5 – 0 victory . On December 30 , 2000 , Demitra suffered an injury , however , he came back with the team late in the season , and appeared in 15 playoff games , scoring two goals and six points . In 2001 – 02 , Demitra was healthy , as he appeared in all 82 games for St . Louis , scoring 35 goals and 78 points to lead the team in scoring and finish seventh in the league scoring race . Demitra had a league high ten game winning goals . He had a four point night against his former team , the Ottawa Senators , on November 27 , 2001 , scoring two goals and two assists in a 4 – 2 victory . Demitra appeared in the 2002 NHL All - Star Game held in Los Angeles , California , however , he was held off the scoresheet in a 8 – 5 World win over North America . In the playoffs , Demitra appeared in 10 games , scoring four goals and 11 points . He had a four point night against the Detroit Red Wings on May 7 , 2002 , scoring a goal and three assists in the Blues 6 – 1 victory . The 2002 – 03 was Demitra ' s most productive in the NHL , as he set a career high with 93 points , which placed him sixth in NHL scoring , as Demtira scored 36 goals and 57 assists in 78 games . He had a hat trick and a season high four points on November 29 , 2002 in a 7 – 2 win over the Calgary Flames . In the playoffs , Demtira had two goals and six points in seven games . Demitra had a disappointing 2003 – 04 season , scoring 23 goals and 58 points , his lowest totals since his injury plagued 2000 – 01 season , in 68 games . In the playoffs , Demitra had a goal in five contests . This would be his final season with the Blues , as Demitra left the team fifth in franchise scoring with 493 points in 494 games . HC Dukla Trenčin . With the 2004 - 05 NHL lockout cancelling the season , Demitra signed with HC Dukla Trencin of the Slovak Extraliga on September 17 , 2004 . Demitra led the league in scoring with 28 goals and 82 points in 54 games . Demitra scored four goals and 17 points in 12 playoff games with the team . Los Angeles Kings . On August 2 , 2005 , Demitra signed a three year , $ 13 . 5 million contract with the Los Angeles Kings . On October 5 , 2005 , Demitra played his first game with the Kings , scoring an assist in a 5 – 4 loss to the Dallas Stars . The next night , on October 6 , 2005 , Demitra scored his first goal with his new team , scoring against David LeNeveu of the Phoenix Coyotes in a 3 – 2 win . Demitra had three four - point games during the season , including one on November 22 , 2005 against his former team , the St . Louis Blues in a 6 – 3 Los Angeles win . Demitra missed 24 games with injuries , including an eye problem , during the season . In 58 games during the season , Demitra had 25 goals and 62 points to finish third in team scoring . On June 24 , 2006 , Los Angeles traded Demitra to the Minnesota Wild for Patrick O ' Sullivan and a first round draft pick in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft . Minnesota Wild . Demitra joined the Wild and fellow Slovak Marian Gaborik for the 2006 – 07 season . Demitra played his first game with the Wild on October 5 , 2006 , recording two assists in a 3 – 2 win over the Colorado Avalanche . In his next game on October 7 , 2006 , Demitra scored his first goal with Minnesota , scoring against Tomas Vokoun of the Nashville Predators in a 6 – 5 victory . Demitra finished the season tied for first in team scoring , as he had 25 goals and 64 points in 71 games . The 64 points were the highest by Demitra since 2002 – 03 . Demitra played in his first playoff game with Minnesota on April 11 , 2007 , scoring a goal against Ilya Bryzgalov of the Anaheim Ducks in a 2 – 1 loss . Demitra appeared in five playoff games , scoring a goal and four points . Demitra was named the captain of the Wild for the month of October 2007 as part of the Wild ' s rotating captaincy to begin the 2007 – 08 season . Demitra had a tough season , scoring only 15 goals , his lowest total since 1996 – 97 , and 54 points 68 games as he finished fourth in team scoring . In the playoffs , Demitra had a goal and three points in six games . At the end of the season , he became an unrestricted free agent . Vancouver Canucks . On July 10 , 2008 , Demitra signed a two - year , $ 8 million contract with the Vancouver Canucks . He played in his first game as a Canuck on October 9 , 2008 , getting no points in a 6 – 0 win over the Calgary Flames . In his next game , also against Calgary , Demitra scored his first goal with Vancouver , the game winning overtime goal against Mikka Kiprusoff in a 5 – 4 win . He finished the season with 20 goals and 53 points in 69 games , finishing fourth in team scoring . Demitra appeared in his first playoff game with Vancouver on April 15 , 2009 , recording an assist in a 2 – 1 win over the St . Louis Blues . Demitra scored his first playoff goal with the Canucks on April 30 , 2009 , scoring against Nikolai Khabibulin of the Chicago Blackhawks in a 5 – 3 victory . On May 2 , 2009 , Demitra suffered a shoulder injury against the Blackhawks that would end his season . In six playoff games , Demitra had a goal and three points . The 2009 – 10 would be a tough season on Demitra , as he missed most of the regular season with the shoulder injury that occurred in the 2009 playoffs . In 28 games , Demitra had three goals and 16 points , his lowest totals since 1996 – 97 . In the playoffs , Demitra had a three point game against the Los Angeles Kings on April 23 , 2010 , helping Vancouver to a 7 – 2 win . Overall , Demitra appeared in 11 playoff games , scoring two goals and six points . After the season , he became an unrestricted free agent . This would mark the end of Demtira ' s NHL career . He ' d played in 847 career games , and scored 304 goals with 464 assists for 768 points . Lokomotiv Yaroslavl . Demitra joined Lokomotiv Yaroslavl of the KHL on July 15 , 2010 . In his first season with Lokomotiv , Demitra scored 18 goals and 60 points in 54 games to finish fifth in league scoring . He was named Forward of the Month in January 2011 . In 18 playoff games with Yaroslavl , Demitra had six goals and 15 assists for 21 points which placed him second in KHL playoff scoring . Demitra returned to the team for the 2011 – 12 season , however , on September 7 , 2011 , he was killed in a plane crash with all of his teammates . International play . Demitra was named to Team Slovakia for the 2010 Winter Olympics in his NHL hometown Vancouver . On February 18 , 2010 , he scored in the seventh round of a shootout to help Slovakia beat Russia in the round robin . In the semi - finals against hosts Canada , Slovakia trailed 3 – 0 after two periods but rallied with 2 goals in the third period , and Demitra nearly scored with 9 seconds remained in regulation but his shot was stopped by Canucks teammate Roberto Luongo , and the save was dubbed the " Glove from Above " . In the bronze medal game against Finland , Demitra assisted twice and scored once in the second period to help his team to a 3 – 1 lead , though they could not hold on as Finland scored four times ( including an empty - net goal ) in the third period to claim bronze . Slovakia was ranked in fourth place , as Demitra led the tournament in points with 10 and tied for the lead in assists with seven . His play in the tournament led him to a selection to the all - star team . Demitra played for Czechoslovakia in the following competitions : Demitra has played for Slovakia in the following competitions : Death . The 2011 Lokomotiv Yaroslavl plane crash occurred on September 7 , 2011 , at 4 : 02 PM local time , when a Yakovlev Yak - 42 passenger aircraft , carrying the entire hockey team of Lokomotiv Yaroslavl of the Kontinental Hockey League ( KHL ) crashed near Yaroslavl , Russia on its way to Minsk , Belarus , to start the 2011 – 12 KHL season . The majority of the club ' s roster were killed in the plane crash . The airplane caught fire and crashed shortly after take - off , merely 4 kilometers from the Tunoshna airport . Preliminary reports say that 43 of the 45 passengers on board had been killed , including the entire roster and 4 youth players , and that the remaining one ( Alexander Galimov ) was in critical condition . However , Galimov died a few days later . Demitra ' s agent , Matt Keator , has confirmed his client ' s death . Demitra was survived by his wife Maja and two children , Lucas and Zara . He was predeceased by his infant son , Tobias .