Ruslan Salei

Ruslan Albertovich "Rusty" Salei (Belarusian: Руслан Салей; November 2, 1974 – September 7, 2011) was a Belarusian professional ice hockey player. Salei played 14 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Detroit Red Wings, Colorado Avalanche, Florida Panthers and the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, who selected him ninth overall in the 1996 NHL Entry Draft. At the time of his death, he was with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).
Salei died on September 7, 2011, when a Yakovlev Yak-42 passenger aircraft, carrying the entire Lokomotiv team crashed near Yaroslavl on its way to Minsk, Belarus, to start the 2011–12 KHL season.http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=587792Plane crashin Russia involves KHL team
==Playing career==
Salei was selected by the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim ninth overall at the 1996 NHL Entry Draft. In 1992, prior to being selected for the Ducks, Salei played in his native Belarus for Dinamo Minsk in the Russian Elite League. After the 1994–95 season, the Russian Elite League re-aligned, pushing Tivali Minsk to the side. Salei then came to North America, being signed by General Manager Bob Sturmm of the Las Vegas Thunder without Sturmm knowing of his capabilities.
During a successful spell with the Thunder, Salei was drafted by the Ducks and soon signed a three-year deal worth $2.25 million. Salei split time between the Ducks, Baltimore Bandits, and the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks of the American Hockey League (AHL) before becoming a full squad member of the Ducks by the end of the 1997–98 season. 
In October 1999, Salei was suspended by the NHL for ten games after he checked Dallas Stars center Mike Modano face first into the boards from behind. Modano suffered a slight concussion, strained ligaments in his neck, and a broken nose. Salei played all 21 playoff games in the 2002–03 NHL season, which saw the Ducks go all the way to the Stanley Cup finals, only to lose in seven games to the New Jersey Devils. 
During the 2004–05 NHL lockout, Salei played in the Russian Superleague (RSL) for AK Bars Kazan. He returned to the Ducks upon resumption of the NHL the following season and played with the Ducks until the end of the 2005–06 season, playing 594 regular season games in his career for Anaheim, the franchise record for a defenseman. 
thumb|left|195px|Ruslan Salei on November 15, 2007 with the Florida Panthers.
On July 2, 2006, Salei signed with the Florida Panthers on a four-year contract, worth $12 million. Salei quickly settled with the Panthers with his most productive season in 2006–07, where he totaled 32 points, scoring six goals and 26 assists in 82 regular season games. He continued his new-found offensive production in 2007–08 and as the Panthers fell out of playoff contention, Salei was traded at the NHL trade deadline to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for Kārlis Skrastiņš and a third round draft pick on February 26, 2008. 
As a veteran and in his first full season with the Avalanche in 2008–09, Salei finished second among defenseman with 21 points in 70 games. He appeared in his 800th career NHL game against the St. Louis Blues on January 15, 2009 and surpassed 1,000 career penalty minutes against the Minnesota Wild on March 12, 2009. Ruslan suffered a back injury to start the 2009–10 season subsequently missed 56 games. He was able to recover in time to lead Belarus in the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, but was relegated as a reserve defender upon his return to the Avalanche, playing in a career low 14 games.
On August 9, 2010, the Detroit Red Wings announced Salei signed as a free agent to a one-year contract with the club worth $750,000, with an additional $350,000 in performance bonuses. According to General Manager Ken Holland, Salei's positive experiences under current Red Wings coach Mike Babcock in Anaheim contributed to his decision.
Salei signed a one-year contract with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl of the Kontinental Hockey League on July 5, 2011.
==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 nearly 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.http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=587792
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 44 of the 45 passengers and crew on board had been killed, including the entire roster and 4 youth playersPlane crash in Russia involves KHL team, and that the remaining one (Alexander Galimov) was in critical condition and later died. Top KHL squad killed in passenger plane crash in Russia — RT
==Awards==
* Belarus player of the year (2003, 2004)
==Career statistics==
===Regular season and playoffs===
 	 	 		Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season		Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs
Season 	Team 	League 		GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM 		GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM
1992–93 	Dinamo Minsk 	REL 		9 	1 	0 	1 	10 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1993–94 	Tivali Minsk 	REL 		39 	2 	3 	5 	50 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1994–95 	Tivali Minsk 	REL 		51 	4 	2 	6 	44 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1995–96 	Las Vegas Thunder 	IHL 		76 	7 	23 	30 	123 		15 	3 	7 	10 	18
1996–97 	Las Vegas Thunder 	IHL 		8 	0 	2 	2 	24 		3 	2 	1 	3 	6
1996–97 	Baltimore Bandits 	AHL 		12 	1 	4 	5 	12 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1996–97 	Mighty Ducks of Anaheim	NHL 		30 	0 	1 	1 	37 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1997–98 	Cincinnati Mighty Ducks	AHL 		6 	3 	6 	9 	14 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1997–98 	Mighty Ducks of Anaheim	NHL 		66 	5 	10 	15 	70 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1998–99 	Mighty Ducks of Anaheim	NHL 		74 	2 	14 	16 	65 		3 	0 	0 	0 	4
1999–00 	Mighty Ducks of Anaheim	NHL 		71 	5 	5 	10 	94 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2000–01 	Mighty Ducks of Anaheim	NHL 		50 	1 	5 	6 	70 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2001–02 	Mighty Ducks of Anaheim	NHL 		82 	4 	7 	11 	97 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2002–03 	Mighty Ducks of Anaheim	NHL 		61 	4 	8 	12 	78 		21 	2 	3 	5 	26
2003–04 	Mighty Ducks of Anaheim	NHL 		82 	4 	11 	15 	110 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2004–05 	Ak Bars Kazan 	RSL 		35 	8 	11 	19 	36 		3 	0 	0 	0 	2
2005–06 	Mighty Ducks of Anaheim	NHL 		78 	1 	18 	19 	114 		16 	3 	2 	5 	18
2006–07 	Florida Panthers 	NHL 		82 	6 	26 	32 	102 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2007–08 	Florida Panthers 	NHL 		65 	3 	20 	23 	75 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2007–08 	Colorado Avalanche 	NHL 		17 	3 	4 	7 	23 		10 	1 	4 	5 	4
2008–09 	Colorado Avalanche 	NHL 		70 	4 	17 	21 	72 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2009–10 	Colorado Avalanche 	NHL 		14 	1 	5 	6 	10 		1 	0 	0 	0 	0
2010–11 	Detroit Red Wings 	NHL 		75 	2 	8 	10 	48 		11 	1 	0 	1 	0
NHL totals	NHL totals 	NHL totals		917 	45 	159 	204 	1065 		62 	7 	9 	16 	52
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
===International===
Year 	Team 	Comp 	GP	G 	A 	Pts	PIM
1994 	Belarus 	WC-C 	6 	1 	2 	3 	10
1995 	Belarus 	WC-C 	4 	0 	1 	1 	4
1998 	Belarus 	OQ 	4 	0 	2 	2 	18
1998 	Belarus 	OG 	7 	1 	0 	1 	4
1998 	Belarus 	WC 	2 	1 	0 	1 	8
2000 	Belarus 	WC 	6 	0 	1 	1 	6
2001 	Belarus 	WC 	6 	0 	1 	1 	31
2002 	Belarus 	OG 	6 	2 	1 	3 	4
2004 	Belarus 	WC-B 	5 	3 	4 	7 	2
2005 	Belarus 	OQ 	2 	1 	0 	1 	2
2008 	Belarus 	WC 	5 	0 	2 	2 	6
2009 	Belarus 	WC 	6 	2 	3 	5 	6
2010 	Belarus 	OG 	4 	1 	0 	1 	0
2010 	Belarus 	WC 	6 	1 	1 	2 	8
Senior int'l totals	Senior int'l totals	Senior int'l totals	69	13	18	31 	109
==See also==
*List of ice hockey players who died during their playing career
== References ==
== External links ==
* 
* 
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Category:Born in 1974
Category:Dead in 2011
Category:Ak Bars Kazan players
Category:Baltimore Bandits players
Category:Belarusian ice hockey players
Category:Cincinnati Mighty Ducks players
Category:Colorado Avalanche players
Category:Detroit Red Wings players
Category:Florida Panthers players
Category:1998 Olympian
Category:2002 Olympian
Category:2010 Olympian
Category:Mighty Ducks of Anaheim draft picks
Category:Mighty Ducks of Anaheim players
Category:National Hockey League first round draft picks
Category:Olympic ice hockey players of Belarus
Category:Lokomotiv Yaroslavl players