List of ice hockey players who died during their playing career

This is a list of ice hockey players who died during their playing careers.
==Player deaths==
===Before 1931===
Age	Player 	Nationality	Date of death	Cause of death 	Notes
28 	 	 	 	horse riding accident 	Member of the Winnipeg Victorias; won Stanley Cup in February 1896 in a challenge match against the Montreal Victorias.
? 	Frank Falvey 	 	 	acute peritonitis 	Member of the MIT men's ice hockey team and club president.
24 	James A. McGee	 	 	horse riding accident 	Member of the Ottawa Silver Seven, captain of the Ottawa Rough Riders; brother of Frank McGee.
23 	
Archie Hooper	 	 	complications from on-ice injury	Member of 1902 and 1903 Montreal Hockey Club Stanley Cup champions.
24 	
Alcide Laurin The Killing of Alcide Laurin in a Hockey Match at Maxville The Ottawa Journal, page 1, February 27, 1905	 	 	on-ice head injury 	He received what The Ottawa Journal claimed on February 25, 1905, was an accidental stick blow to the head by 19-year-old Allan Loney, a player on a rival team from Maxville, Ontario.
27 	 	 	 	drank himself to death 	Member of the Ottawa Hockey Club 1901 Canadian champions, member of the Pittsburgh Pros at time of death.
22 	 	 	 	on-ice head injury 	Murder charges were laid against other players in game in Cornwall, Ontario. There were no convictions.
28 	 	 	 	open water diving accident 	Member of Montreal Wanderers, Stanley Cup champion in 1906 and 1907. All-star benefit game held for family. Member of the Hockey Hall of Fame.
29 	 	 	 	on-ice chest injury 	Stanley Cup winner with Ottawa Senators in 1909.
24 	 	 	 	World War I casualty 	Played professionally for Toronto Blueshirts. Stanley Cup winner in 1914. Member of the Hockey Hall of Fame.
23 	
Del Irvine 	 	 	pneumonia 	Played professionally for Portland Rosebuds. PCHA champion in 1916.
32 	 	 	 	influenza 	Played nine seasons for the Ottawa Senators.
26 	 	 	 	plane crash 	Only member of both the College Football Hall of Fame and Hockey Hall of Fame, annual award to top male player in U.S. collegiate hockey named in his honour.
37 	 	 	 	influenza 	Member of Montreal Canadiens and former long-time member of Quebec Bulldogs. Led NHL in penalty minutes in both seasons played. Had played professionally since 1906. Died during 1919 Stanley Cup Finals. Member of the Hockey Hall of Fame.
22 	 	 	 	blood poisoning 	Played two seasons in the Western Canada Hockey League from 1921 to 1923 with the Calgary Tigers. Died during opening road trip to start 1923–24 WCHL season.
34 	 	 	 	ruptured appendix 	Played thirteen seasons for the Ottawa Senators. Member of the Hockey Hall of Fame.
39 	 	 	 	tuberculosis 	Played sixteen seasons with the Montreal Canadiens from 1910–11 to 1925–26 winning two Stanley Cups; The National Hockey League has awarded the Vezina Trophy annually since his death; member of the Hockey Hall of Fame. On November 29, 1925, the home opener of the 1925–26 season, Vezina ran a temperature of 105°. He started the first period, and, in the second, he collapsed in the crease. After this game, he was forced to retire from the NHL.
25 	 	 	 	drowning 	Played three seasons in the NHL from 1925 to 1929 with the Montreal Maroons and Toronto Maple Leafs. Stanley Cup champion in 1926. Drowned while attempting to swim to shore during a sudden storm that capsized his boat; two friends and a local guide survived.
26 	 	 	 	on-ice skull fracture 	Played two professional seasons, in Hamilton (Can-Pro) and Niagara (IHL). Collided with a teammate and left the ice unassisted. He checked into a nearby hospital, where he died the following morning.
===1930–1969===
Age	Player	Nationality	Date of death	Cause of death 	Notes
26 	 	 	 	diving accident 	Played three seasons and 78 games in the NHL from 1926 to 1929–30 for the New York Americans and Detroit Cougars.
29 	 	 	 	brain hemorrhage 	Goaltender for the Chicago Black Hawks for seven seasons from 1926–27 until 1933–34, the year they won the Stanley Cup; Gardiner was a multiple award winner, winning the Vezina Trophy twice, and is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame.
24 	 	 	 	drowning 	Played 37 games for the Chicago Black Hawks in 1933–34. Body found in the Assiniboine River without his wallet or other valuables. Stanley Cup Champion in 1934.
30 	 	 	 	unknown 	Played five seasons and 109 games for the Chicago Black Hawks and Toronto Maple Leafs from 1927–28 to 1931–32. Stanley Cup champion in 1932.
34 	 	 	 	complications from leg injury	Played 14 seasons and 550 games in the National Hockey League, most notably with the Montreal Canadiens, from 1923–24 to 1936–37; generally regarded as the best player of his era, he won two scoring championships, three Hart Trophies and three Stanley Cups; The Canadiens retired his number 7; member of the Hockey Hall of Fame.
24 	 	 	 	World War II casualty 	Played four championship seasons with McGill University; most valuable player of Quebec Senior Hockey League in 1938–39. Turned down pro offers from New York Rangers to serve in Royal Canadian Navy.
24 	 	 	 	World War II casualty 	Played one season at Illinois, led program to an Intercollegiate championship.
30 	 	 	 	fall from balcony 	Played three seasons and 30 games for the Detroit Red Wings from 1936 to 1940.
20 	 	 	 	World War II casualty 	Played 23 games for the New York Rangers in 1942–43; Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award is awarded annually by AHL to top rookie.
25 	 	 	 	World War II casualty 	Played one game in the NHL for the Detroit Red Wings as a goaltender, a 3–3 tie; the now-defunct IHL awarded the Turner Cup in his memory annually to the league champion.
23 	 	 	 	plane crash 	Mellups was the starting goaltender of the first-ever Soviet national team game. Played several seasons in the Soviet League for VVS Moscow, which lost 11 players in the 1950 Sverdlovsk plane crash.
27 	 	 	 	plane crash 	Played several seasons in the Soviet League for Dinamo Riga. Joined VVS Moscow in 1949.
24 	 	 	 	plane crash 	1947 Soviet Championship bronze medal winner. 1948 Soviet Championship silver medal winner.
30 	 	 	 	plane crash 	1947 Soviet Championship gold medal winner. 1948 Soviet Championship bronze medal winner.
31 	 	 	 	plane crash 	1947 Soviet Championship bronze medal winner. 1948 Soviet Championship silver medal winner.
27 	 	 	 	plane crash 	Brother of hall of fame player Anatoli Tarasov.
? 	 	 	 	plane crash 	
? 	 	 	 	plane crash 	
? 	 	 	 	plane crash 	
? 	 	 	 	plane crash 	
? 	 	 	 	plane crash 	
24 	 	 	 	plane crash 	His plane crashed in 1951 but investigators did not find the crash until 1962. Played five seasons and won four Stanley Cups with the Toronto Maple Leafs from 1947 to 1951, and scored the legendary cup-winning goal in overtime of game five in the 1951 finals; the Leafs retired his number 5. Inspired the song "Fifty Mission Cap" by The Tragically Hip.
26 	 	 	 	drowning 	Played three seasons and 77 games in the NHL from 1949 to 1952 for the Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens; Les Cunningham Award recipient as AHL MVP for his performance during 1954–55, his last season.
28 	 	 	 	lung cancer 	Played eight seasons and 306 games in the National Hockey League from 1956–57 to 1964–65 winning a Stanley Cup with the Chicago Black Hawks in 1961; he also played for the Montreal Canadiens and Boston Bruins.
22 	 	 	 	car crash 	Five-time all-star defenseman in SM-sarja. In 1995, the trophy of top rookie of SM-liiga was renamed Jarmo Wasama memorial trophy.
22 	 	 	 	car crash 	Played three games for the Detroit Red Wings in 1964–65.
29 	 	 	 	on-ice head injury 	Played 30 games in the 1967–68 NHL season with the Minnesota North Stars and is the only player in NHL history to be killed as a direct result of an on-ice incident; the NHL annually awards the Bill Masterton Trophy in his honour, and the North Stars retired his number 19.
27 	 	 	 	brain tumor 	All-American, helped Michigan Tech win a National Championship in 1962.
22 	 	 	 	heart failure 	Defenceman who played for Spartak Moscow. Champion of USSR (1967), European champion (1968), World champion (1968), champion of Olympic Games (1968). Died during training.
29 	 	 	 	Massive coronary thrombosis 	Played eight seasons in American Hockey League. Died on the ice during the first practice of the New York Rangers training camp, held in Kitchener, Ontario. Won 1959 Memorial Cup with Winnipeg Braves.
===1970–1989 ===
Age	Player	Nationality	Date of death	Cause of death 	Notes
40 	 	 	 	injuries suffered in an off-ice shoving incident 	Played 21 seasons and 972 games in the National Hockey League from 1949 to 1970; 14 of those seasons played with the Detroit Red Wings who retired his number 1; set numerous NHL goalie records and won numerous NHL awards; considered by many to be one of the greatest goalies of all time; member of the Hockey Hall of Fame.
21 	 	 	 	car crash 	Pittsburgh Penguins rookie played 76 games in 1969–70; the Penguins retired his number 21; the Michel Brière Memorial Trophy is awarded annually by the QMJHL to the league MVP.
30 	 	 	 	car crash 	
Forward. Played for the national Soviet junior team and HC Spartak Moscow. Champion of USSR (1969, 
1974), winner of the USSR Cup (1970,1971,1974), winner of the European Junior Championship (1970).
19 	 	 	1971 	accidental electricution 	Former right winger for the Peterborough Petes. The OHL's Jim Mahon Memorial Trophy is named in his honour.
19 	 	 	May 8, 1972 	car crash 	Top NHL Prospect, led SOJAHL's Guelph CMC's to 1972 Centennial Cup and died as a result of hitting his head on the ice in final period of the deciding game.
28 	 	 	 	car crash 	Represented Sweden in the 1968 Winter Olympics and six IIHF World Championships; in the 1970 World Championships he was named top defenceman
44 	 	 	 	car crash 	Played 24 seasons and 1,446 games in the National Hockey League from 1949 to 1974, playing 20 seasons and 1,185 games for the Toronto Maple Leafs; named to the NHL's First and Second All-Star teams three times each; member of the Hockey Hall of Fame. Also founder of the Tim Hortons restaurant chain.
29 	 	 	 	brain cancer 	Played six seasons and 246 games in the National Hockey League, for the Chicago Black Hawks, St. Louis Blues and Vancouver Canucks.
22 	 	 	 	Unknown 	Defenseman. Played for the national Soviet junior team and HC CSKA Moscow. Winner of the European Junior Championship (1973).
24 	 	 	 	motorcycle crash 	Played four seasons and 245 games for the St. Louis Blues from 1973 to 1977; the Blues retired his number 3.
30 	 	 	 	suicide 	Played 331 SM-sarja games for Kiekko-67, Upon Pallo and Ilves. Won one SM-sarja Championship with Ilves in 1972 and played 8 games for Finnish national team.
27 	 	 	 	car crash 	Played three seasons and 91 games in the NHL from 1975 to 1979 for the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Los Angeles Kings.
24 	 	 	 	murdered, smothering 	Forward. Played for HC Spartak Moscow. His murderer was never found.
26 	 	 	 	car crash 	Played six seasons in the NHL for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Colorado Rockies, and Edmonton Oilers from 1975 to 1981
33 	 	 	 	car crash 	Played in three Olympics, 11 IIHF World Championships and the 1972 Summit Series. Member of the Hockey Hall of Fame.
28 	 	 	 	heart attack 	Played 9 seasons in Finnish SM-liiga for Ässät Pori and won championship title in 1978. Father of ex-pro hockey player Jarno Levonen, cousin of ex-player and international referee Jari Levonen. Suffered a heart attack during a 3rd division game and died later at hospital.
22 	 	 	 	on-ice injury 	All-American, played 4 years at Maine. Died after suffering a freak injury in a game of pickup hockey during the summer of 1982.
25 	 	 	December 1984	injury 	Played several seasons in Danish 1. Division and won championship title in 1983 with Herlev IK. Died in December 1984 in Kopenhagen Hospital after he was hit by stick during league gameThomas svævede mellem liv og død efter tragisk uheld
18 	 	 	 	heart failure caused by Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome	Played for the OHL's Oshawa Generals. Chosen 41st overall at the 1984 NHL Entry Draft by the New York Islanders.
17 	 	 	 	car crash 	Fetisov was a sure bet to play with the Soviet Union at the 1986 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships in Hamilton and a strong candidate for selection in the 1986 NHL Entry Draft; his older brother, former NHLer Viacheslav Fetisov, was the driver in the crash.
26 	 	 	 	car crash 	Philadelphia Flyers goalie played five seasons from 1981 until his death in 1985; Vezina Trophy recipient for 1984–85 NHL season; the Flyers created the Pelle Lindbergh Memorial Trophy and award it annually to the team's most improved player.
18 	 	 	 	car crash 	Played for Bemidji High School, was the Calgary Flames' first-round pick (16th overall) in the 1986 NHL Entry Draft. Was named Minnesota Mr. Hockey in 1986 as the top high-school player in the state.
20 	 	 	 	bus crash 	Killed when Swift Current Broncos team bus crashed on the way to a WHL game in Regina. The league awards the Four Broncos Memorial Trophy to its player of the year, partially in his honour.
19 	 	 	 	bus crash 	Killed when Swift Current Broncos team bus crashed on the way to a WHL game in Regina. The league awards the Four Broncos Memorial Trophy to its player of the year, partially in his honour.
20 	 	 	 	bus crash 	Killed when Swift Current Broncos team bus crashed on the way to a WHL game in Regina. The league awards the Four Broncos Memorial Trophy to its player of the year, partially in his honour.
16 	 	 	 	bus crash 	Killed when Swift Current Broncos team bus crashed on the way to a WHL game in Regina. The league awards the Four Broncos Memorial Trophy to its player of the year, partially in his honour. Brother of Lindy Ruff.
27 	 	 	 	unknown, supposedly heart attack 	Defenseman, played for Torpedo Togliatti during 1985–1988. Died during cross-country run in training camp.
30 	 	 	 	car accident 	One game in the NHL for the Detroit Red Wings. First Norwegian to play in the NHL.
18 	 	 	 	motorcycle crash 	Neil Carnes played in the QMJHL from 1986–87 through 1988–89 with the Verdun Junior Canadiens and the Laval Titan. Drafted in the 3rd round (46th overall) by the Montreal Canadiens in the 1988 NHL Entry Draft, Carnes died in a motorcycle accident in his hometown of Plymouth, Michigan shortly after playing in the 1989 Memorial Cup with Laval. Neil scored 79 goals and had 145 assists for a total of 224 points in 164 career QMJHL games.
23 	 	 	 	Hit by snow grooming machine, then buried 	Drafted 20th overall in the 1984 NHL Entry Draft by the New York Islanders. Frozen body found in a glacier in 2003.
===1990–1999 ===
Age	Player	Nationality	Date of death	Cause of death 	Notes
18 	 	 	 	car crash 	Candidate for the Soviet National Junior team. Vyacheslav Kozlov, then the top junior player in the country who would go on to play 18 years in the NHL, was seriously injured in the same accident.
26 	 	 	 	on-ice spinal injury 	Played in the Czechoslovak Extraliga. Chosen 115th overall in the 1987 NHL Entry Draft by the New York Rangers. His death led to installation of no-touch icing in Europe.
34 	 	 	 	car crash 	Played 11 seasons for Dynamo Riga in the Soviet Championship League and one season for Ässät Pori in the Finnish first division. Member of 1978 Soviet All-Stars squad that played exhibition games against WHA teams. Father of Sergei Durdin, who later played in the United Hockey League.
19 	 	 	 	cardiac arrest following on-ice slash 	Played for HC Gardena in Italy's Serie B league. Jimmy Boni, the player who slashed him, was charged with culpable homicide in his death but later pleaded guilty to manslaughter.
19 	 	 	 	car crash 	A promising defenceman with the world champion Commonwealth of Independent States national junior team. Drafted in sixth round of the 1992 NHL Entry Draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins, Kopot was involved in a fatal one-car crash the following month in his hometown, five days prior to his twentieth birthday.
19 	 	 	 	died on the ice after being slashed in the chest by an opposing player, stopping his heart.	Played for HC Gardena in Italy's Serie B league. Jimmy Boni, the player who slashed him, was charged with culpable homicide in his death but later pled guilty to manslaughter.
30 	 	 	 	car crash 	Played three games for the Quebec Nordiques in 1984–85.
27 	 	 	 	lung failure due to heart malfunction from a drug overdose 	Played 7 seasons and 244 games in the NHL from 1985 to 1992, most notably with the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs. Won Stanley Cup in 1986 with Montreal. Won 1982-83 Memorial Cup with WHL's Portland Winter Hawks.
18 	 	 	 	choked on vomit 	Played for the Nottingham Panthers of the British Hockey League. He also played for the Great Britain national ice hockey team at Under-18 level. He died following the Panthers' Halloween party. The number 3 jersey is retired by the Panthers in his honour.
25 	 	 	 	car crash 	Played fifteen games for the San Jose Sharks in 1991–92.
27 	 	 	 	car crash 	Slovak-born American ice hockey player. Played in the 1st. Slovak National Hockey League in 1991.Hokejová ročenka 1991-92 Later Mrozik resumed his career in Estonia.Hokejová ročenka 1992-93
24 	 	 	 	heart attack 	Played in the Polish Extraliga for Podhale Nowy Targ, STS Sanok.
23 	 	 	 	bus accident 	Played in the Polish Extraliga for STS Sanok.
29 	 	 	 	stabbed to death 	Played in the SEL for VIK Västerås HK.
28 	 	 	 	on-ice accident 	Played 53 SEL games for Djurgårdens IF and five seasons for Mora IK in the second-level league. Neck was cut by a skate during an exhibition game.
21 	 	 	 	suicide 	Drafted in round 4, #80 overall, by the San Jose Sharks during the 1993 NHL Draft.
25 	 	 	 	airplane crash 	Played for French national team at 1996 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships. Played NCAA Division I hockey for Harvard University.
25 	 	 	 	car crash 	Played 16 games over two seasons for the St. Louis Blues from 1993 to 1995.
24 	 	 	 	leukemia 	Played three seasons and 35 games for the Philadelphia Flyers from 1991 to 1996, the Yanick Dupre Memorial is awarded annually by the Flyers organization and by the American Hockey League for a player's service to his local community.
20 	 	 	 	on-ice accident 	Played in the SJHL at the time of his death. The PJHL Rookie of the Year trophy is named in his honour.
29 	 	 	 	heart attack, during game 	Played five seasons and 90 games in the National Hockey League for the Quebec Nordiques and Vancouver Canucks; he was awarded the Leo P. Lamoureux Memorial Trophy as the IHL's leading scorer in 1995.
29 	 	 	 	heart attack 	Played nine seasons and 374 games in the National League A mostly for the HC Fribourg-Gottéron and ZSC Lions Zurich.
26 	 	 	 	shooting 	Was goalkeeper, played for MHk 32 Liptovský Mikuláš and STS Sanok and represented Western Slovakia. Shot dead by unknown offender.
34 	 	 	 	brain tumor 	Played two seasons in SM-liiga for Ässät Pori and Jokipojat Joensuu. Last two seasons of his career he played for Newcastle Cobras in the British Ice Hockey Superleague. Died on a relapsed brain tumor. His jersey was retired by Newcastle in 2001.
32 	 	 	 	Impaired Driving 	Played thirteen seasons and 751 games in the NHL for the Detroit Red Wings, Calgary Flames, Hartford Whalers and Carolina Hurricanes from 1986–87 to 1998–99.
22 	 	 	 	slashed jugular vein in boat accident 	Played 62 games for the Philadelphia Flyers in 1998–99
===2000–2009===
Age	Player 	Nationality	Date of death	Cause of death 	Notes
28 	 	 	 	hit by car as a pedestrian 	Played in the Polish Extraliga for Unia Oświęcim.
38 	 	 	 	leukemia 	Played for Spartak Moskwa, Podhale Nowy Targ, Vityaz Podolsk, participated in IIHF World Championships 1986 (won gold medal with Soviet Union).
32 	 	 	 	liver cirrhosis 	Master of Sports, forward. Champion of Russia (1994, 1996), winner of the European Cup (1997). Played for Avtomobilist Sverdlovsk, SKA Sverdlovsk, HC Lada Togliatti and the Russian national team, including at the 1994 Winter Olympics. One of the annual Russian ice hockey tournaments for children named in his honour. Only 11-year-old players can participate in this tournament because Bezukladnikov played with this jersey number.
22 	 	 	 	car crash 	Played for the Kentucky Thoroughblades (AHL). Won a bronze medal at the 1999 World Junior Championships in Winnipeg, Slovakia's first IIHF medal as an independent nation. Played in the QMJHL for the Drummondville Voltigeurs.
26 	 	 	 	drug overdose 	Drafted in round 3 #66 overall by the San Jose Sharks during the 1994 NHL Draft.
22 	 	 	 	cerebral hemorrhage 	Drafted 124th overall in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft by the Nashville Predators. Died during a cross country workout with CSK VVS Samara.
22 	 	 	 	suicide 	Played for the Roanoke Express (ECHL) and OCN Blizzard (MJHL). Brother of NHLer Jordin Tootoo.
24 	 	 	 	suicide 	Played four seasons in the NHL for the Dallas Stars and New York Rangers from 1999 to 2003.
23 	 	 	 	suicide 	Chosen 159th overall at the 1998 NHL Entry Draft by the Edmonton Oilers. Was playing for the AHL's Syracuse Crunch at the time of his death.
27 	 	 	 	hit by car as a pedestrian 	Played in the Polish Extraliga for SKH Sanok.
25 	 	 	 	car crash 	Played three seasons and 49 games for the Atlanta Thrashers from 2000 to 2003; the OHL renamed its Humanitarian of the Year award to the Dan Snyder Memorial Trophy in Snyder's honour; Dany Heatley was the driver in the accident.
36 	 	 	 	cancer 	Played for Dinamo Minsk, Podhale Nowy Targ, German clubs in DEL, participated in IIHF World Championships 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002, and Winter Olympics in 1998 and 2002.
27 	 	 	 	murder, head injury 	Played in Russia on teams such as Amur Khabarovsk, Lada Tolliati, and Spartak Moscow.
31 	 	 	 	hypertrophic cardiomyopathy during a match	Played ten seasons and 588 games in the National Hockey League for six teams from 1992 to 2004.
18 	 	 	 	on-ice accident 	Played for Brigham Young University men's ice hockey. Was hit by a puck which stopped his heart.
28 	 	 	 	car crash 	Drafted and played one game with Montreal Canadiens. Delisle died in an auto accident in March 2006 as a member of the Saint-Georges CRS Express. The Delisle Trophy has been named in his honor and is awarded to the LNAH player who "best exemplifies leadership in the regular season."
21 	 	 	 	car crash 	Drafted 120th overall in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft by the New York Islanders. Played for the Sudbury Wolves and the Sarnia Sting of the OHL.
22 	 	 	 	car crash 	Played for the Belarusian national team.
30 	 	 	 	car crash 	Played in the Czech Extraliga.
26 	 	 	 	heart attack 	Played for Associazione Sportiva Asiago Hockey. His former team, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, dedicated their Robo's Readers program in his memory.
19 	 	 	 	hypertrophic cardiomyopathy 	Captain of the Windsor Spitfires in the OHL; chosen in the 5th round of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft by the Calgary Flames.
21 	 	 	 	motorcycle accident 	Drafted 10th overall in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft by the Vancouver Canucks; played 36 games in the NHL from 2006–2008.
20 	KJ Ramolla	 	 	car crash 	Played for the Newmarket Hurricanes of the OPJHL. Chosen in the fifth round of the 2004 OHL Priority Selection by the Kingston Frontenacs.
21 	 	 	 	unknown 	Central forward. Played for Russian national junior team, Dynamo Moscow (KHL, Russia) and Atlant Mytishchi (KHL, Russia) farm clubs. Died during cross-country in training camp.
18 	 	 	 	car crash 	Played for KHL Zagreb in his homeland. Represented Croatia at two IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships.
19 	 	 	 	Myocarditis 	Drafted 17th overall in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft by the New York Rangers. In 2008 played for Omsk Avangard (KHL, Russia). Omsk retired his number seven. KHL award to top rookie of the year named in his honour.
21 	 	 	 	on-ice head injury 	Played for the Whitby Dunlops of the Ontario Hockey Association. Struck head on ice during fight on December 12, 2008, and died three weeks later. Drafted by the Kitchener Rangers of the OHL in 2003.
34 	 	 	 	heart attack 	Played professionally for Alba Volán Székesfehérvár in Hungary. Was selected as best player in the league three times, and won scoring title three times. Scored 115 points in 187 games for the Hungarian national team.
21 	 	 	 	stabbing 	Goaltender who played for Slavia Sofia in Bulgaria. Was a member of Bulgarian national team for two World Championships.
28 	 	 	 	brain cancer 	Goaltender. Was drafted by the Washington Capitals in 2001. Champion of Germany in 2002–03 and 2006–07 seasons. Was a member of German national team. Played 127 games for his national team, participated in eight IIHF World Championships and two Winter Olympics in 2002 and 2006. Inducted into the German Ice Hockey Hall of Fame in March 2009. Kölner Haie retired his number 80.
18 	 	 	 	car crash 	Forward. Played for HC Krilya Sovetov (MHL, Russia).
===2010–2019===
Age	Player 	Nationality 	Date of death 	Cause of death 	Notes
22 	Matt Cook 	 	 	bone cancer 	Won a bronze medal at the 2009 IPC Ice Sledge Hockey World Championships playing for Canada.
23 	Igor Misko 	 	 	cardiac arrest while driving 	Played for SKA St. Petersburg of the Kontinental Hockey League. Died after having cardiac arrest while driving a car in the Kolpino region of St. Petersburg.
20 	Ben Pearson 	 	 	urea cycle disorder 	Played for Norwich Merchants, a junior C hockey team in Ontario. Also played for the OHL's Kingston Frontenacs and the Junior B Cambridge Winterhawks. His #7 jersey has been retired by the Merchants.
19 	Markus Wächter 	 	 	heart attack 	Played for ESV Kaufbeuren (Germany). Died in a hospital after collapsing following a bodycheck in national junior league game. It was later announced that Markus suffered from a heart illness.
28 	Tom Cavanagh 	 	 	suicide 	Played for the San Jose Sharks and the Springfield Falcons (AHL). Diagnosed with schizophrenia; found dead in the Providence Mall parking garage after jumping to his death.
23 	Mandi Schwartz 	rowspan="3" 	 	acute myeloid leukemia 	Played for Yale University Bulldogs. Her younger brother Jaden is a St. Louis Blues player.
28 	Derek Boogaard 	 	accidental mixture of alcohol and oxycodone toxicity 	Played six seasons and 277 games in the NHL, five with the Minnesota Wild and one with the New York Rangers, between 2005 and 2011. 	
27 	Rick Rypien 	 	suicide 	Played 119 NHL games between 2005 and 2011. 	
36 	Pavol Demitra 	 	rowspan="25" 	 	
30 	Josef Vašíček 	rowspan="3" 	He was drafted 91st overall by the Carolina Hurricanes in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft and played 460 games in the NHL as well as 166 in the KHL. He was on the Carolina team that won the Stanley Cup in 2006. 2005 IIHF World Championship Gold Medal winner. Czech Republic men's national ice hockey team retired his number 63.	 	
32 	Karel Rachůnek 	Won a Gold Medal in 2010 and a Bronze Medal in 2011 playing for the Czech Republic in the World Championships. He played 371 games in the NHL and 152 games in the KHL in his career. Czech Republic men's national ice hockey team retired his number 4. 	 	 	
31 	Jan Marek 	Drafted by the New York Rangers in the 8th round (243rd overall) of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. Led the KHL in goals scored in the 2008–09 season with 35. Played 541 games professionally in the KHL and in the Czech Extraliga. 2010 IIHF World Championship Gold Medal winner. Czech Republic men's national ice hockey team retired his number 15.	 	 	
30 	Stefan Liv 	 	Playing for Sweden he won Gold Medals at the 2006 World Championships and the 2006 Winter Olympics, a Silver Medal at the 2004 World Championships, and Bronze Medals at the 2002 and 2009 World Championships. He played 308 games in the Swedish Elite League. 	 	
37 	Kārlis Skrastiņš 	 	Played 832 games in the NHL. He also played on Latvian national teams in the 2002, 2006, and 2010 Olympic Games and ten different World Championships between 1993 and 2009. Nicknamed as "Iron Man" because of his streak of 495 consecutive appearances in the NHL regular games. 	 	
36 	Ruslan Salei 	 	He was the first Belarusian first round pick in the NHL, when the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim drafted him 9th overall in 1996. Played 917 games in the NHL over 14 years. He also played on the Belarusian national team in the 1998, 2002, and 2010 Olympic Games and nine different World Championships between 1994 and 2010. 	 	
24 	Vitali Anikienko 	 	Drafted 70th overall in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft by the Ottawa Senators. Played 235 regular games for Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (KHL) scoring 67 (19+48) points. 2003 IIHF World U18 Championship Bronze Medal winner. 2007 World Junior Championship Silver Medal winner. 	 	
31 	Mikhail Balandin 	rowspan="2" 	Played 158 regular games in the KHL. 2000 World U20 Championship Silver Medal winner. 	 	
24 	Gennady Churilov 	Played 302 regular games in Russian Super League and KHL and 9 games for the Russian National team in the 2010–11 Euro Hockey Tour. 2006 and 2007 World Junior Championship Silver Medal winner. 	 	 	
25 	Robert Dietrich 	 	Member of the German National team in 2007, 2010 and 2011 IIHF World Championships. 	 	
23 	Marat Kalimulin 	rowspan="4" 	Played 102 regular games in the KHL. 2008 IIHF World U20 Championship Bronze Medal winner. 	 	
23 	Alexander Kalyanin	Played 94 regular games in the KHL and 6 games for the Russian National team in the 2010–11 Euro Hockey Tour. 	 	 	
24 	Andrei Kiryukhin 	Played 107 regular games in the KHL. 2007 IIHF World U20 Championship Silver Medal winner. 	 	 	
21 	
Nikita Klyukin 	Played 104 regular games in the KHL for Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. 2007 World U18 Championship Gold Medal winner. 2009 World U20 Championship Bronze Medal winner. 	 	 	
21 	Sergei Ostapchuk 	 	Played 36 regular games in the KHL for Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. 	 	
18 	Maxim Shuvalov 	 	2011 World U18 Championship Bronze Medal winner. Played 51 regular games in the MHL for Loko Yaroslavl. 	 	
19 	Pavel Snurnitsyn 	 	Played 115 regular games in the MHL for Loko Yaroslavl. 	 	
20 	
Daniil Sobchenko 	 	Played 51 regular games in the KHL for Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. 2011 World Junior Championship Gold Medal winner. 	 	
31 	Ivan Tkachenko 	rowspan="4" 	Was selected by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 4th round (98th overall) of the 2002 NHL Entry Draft. Played 553 regular games in Russian Super League and KHL. Winner of 2002 and 2003 Russian Superleague championships. 2002 IIHF World Championship Silver Medal winner. 	 	
33 	Pavel Trakhanov 	Played 589 regular games in Russian Super League and KHL. 	 	 	
20 	Yuri Urychev 	Played 23 regular games in the KHL for Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. 2011 World Junior Championship Gold Medal winner. 	 	 	
23 	Alexander Vasyunov	Forward. Drafted 58th overall in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft by the New Jersey Devils. Played 18 NHL regular games scoring 5 (1+4) points and 187 AHL games scoring 91 (39+52) points. 2007 IIHF World U20 Championship Silver Medal winner. 	 	 	
38 	Alexander Vyukhin 	 	Goaltender. Played 647 regular games in Russian Super League and KHL. Winner of 2003–04 Russian Superleague championship. 	 	
21 	Artem Yarchuk 	rowspan="3" 	2008 World U18 Championship Silver Medal winner. 	 	
26 	Alexander Galimov 	 	injuries sustained in a plane crash 	Member of the silver-medal winning Russian U20 team at the 2005 IIHF World U20 Championship 	
16 	Maxim Koposov 	 	hit by puck during game 	 	
23 	Bryan Rufenach 	 	 	electrocution 	Drafted 208th overall in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, by the Detroit Red Wings. Fatally electrocuted while on vacation in Switzerland.
34 	Remir Khaidarov 	rowspan="2" 	 	fire 	
32 	Dmitri Uchaykin 	 	hit in head during game 	Played for Amur Khabarovsk of the Russian Superleague and Kontinental Hockey League. Was a member of HC Ertis-Pavlodar in the Kazakhstan Vyschaya Liga at the time of his death. 	
20 	Kristiāns Pelšs 	 	 	drowning 	Pelšs was drafted by Edmonton Oilers during the 7th round of 2010 NHL Entry Draft. He appeared in 20 games for Oklahoma City Barons of the American Hockey League as well as played two games for Latvian national ice hockey team.
23 	Scott Winkler 	 	 	undetermined 	Chosen in the third round of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft by the Dallas Stars. Spent four years at Colorado College. Also played for Russell Stover midgets and the USHL's Cedar Rapids RoughRiders. Appeared at two World Under-18s and two World Junior Championships for Norway, including being named Best Forward at the 2010 World Juniors. Made the WCHA's All-Academic Team for three consecutive years.
16 	Jordan Boyd 	 	 	cardiac arrest 	Played for Acadie–Bathurst Titan in the QMJHL
27 	 	 	 	motorcycle crash 	Played in the Polish Extraliga for TMH Polonia Bytom, and for Poland U-18, U-20.
19 	Peter Halash 	 	 	car accident 	Played for the Topeka Roadrunners in the NAHL. Died in a single-car accident on icy roads in Kansas.
20 	Terry Trafford 	 	 	suicide 	Played for the Saginaw Spirit in the OHL. Died as a result of self-inflicted asphyxiation after going missing 8 days prior.
30 	Jozef Salajka 	 	 	motorcycle accident" 	Played 5 games for MsHK Žilina in Slovak extraliga. Salajka spent his entire career in minor leagues in Slovakia and Czech Republic.
21 	Nick Egan 	 	 	hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, cardiac arrest 	Defenceman for the Estevan Bruins of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League. Had graduated from the team and was pursuing a professional contract.
16 	Alexander Orekhov 	 	 	hit in the neck by a puck 	Played for Metallurg Novokuznetsk of the Russia U18 League. Played 18 games, picking up 9 points before his death.
14 	Ladislav Balogh 	 	 	hit by a police car 	Played for HC Petržalka 2010. He died just one day after his birthday.
20 	Markus Olsson 	 	 	drowning 	Goaltender for MODO Hockey's youth team.
25 	Michael Doan 	rowspan="12" 	 	car crash 	Played for the Soo Thunderbirds of the NOJHL, Wellington Dukes and the Huntsville Wildcats of the OJHL from 2010 to 2012. Played three seasons with the Northern Michigan University, and then a year with the Windsor Lancers CIS hockey team. Completed his first season in the SPHL with the Knoxville Ice Bears and the Evansville Thunderbolts
24 	Sarah Stevenson 	 	complications from neisseria meningitidis 	Played 34 games for the Toronto Furies of the CWHL during the 2015–16 season. Also played all four seasons at Liberty University. First ACHA player drafted in the CWHL. 	
16 	Adam Herold 	 	bus crash 	Played 1 regular season game in the SJHL with the Humboldt Broncos and played 4 regular season games in the Western Hockey League with the Prince Albert Raiders. Was drafted 35th overall in the 2016 WHL Bantam Draft by the Prince Albert Raiders. 	
18 	Logan Hunter 	 	bus crash 	Played 55 regular season games in the SJHL with the Humboldt Broncos. 	
20 	Jaxon Joseph 	 	bus crash 	Played 104 regular season games in the SJHL between the Humboldt Broncos & Melfort Mustangs and played 21 regular season games in the BCHL with the Surrey Eagles. Son of NHL defenseman Chris Joseph. 	
19 	Jacob Leicht 	 	bus crash 	Played 43 regular season games in the SJHL with the Humboldt Broncos. 	
21 	Conner Lukan 	 	bus crash 	Played 56 regular season games in the SJHL with the Humboldt Broncos and played 161 regular season games in the AJHL with the Spruce Grove Saints. Was drafted 166th overall in the 2012 WHL Bantam Draft by the Brandon Wheat Kings. 	
20 	Logan Schatz 	 	bus crash 	Played 187 regular season games in the SJHL with the Humboldt Broncos. Was drafted 186th overall in the 2012 WHL Bantam Draft by the Kootenay Ice. Schatz was the Broncos team captain. 	
18 	Evan Thomas 	 	bus crash 	Played 49 regular season games in the SJHL with the Humboldt Broncos. Was drafted 209th overall in the 2014 WHL Bantam Draft by the Kootenay Ice. 	
18 	Parker Tobin 	 	bus crash 	Played 22 regular season games in the SJHL with the Humboldt Broncos and played 48 regular season games in the AJHL between the Spruce Grove Saints, Drayton Valley Thunder & Olds Grizzlys. 	
21 	Stephen Wack 	 	bus crash 	Played 99 regular season games in the SJHL between the Humboldt Broncos and played 76 regular season games in the AJHL between the Whitecourt Wolverines & Camrose Kodiaks. Was drafted 156th overall in the 2012 WHL Bantam Draft by the Prince George Cougars.	
21 	Logan Boulet 	 	injuries sustained in a bus crash 	Played 134 regular season games in the SJHL between the Humboldt Broncos & Kindersley Klippers. 	
32 	Sergei Ogorodnikov	 	June 2018 	personal water craft accident 	A 2004 New York Islanders' draft pick, Ogorodnikov represented Russia on two World Juniors teams and played primarily in Russia from 2003-2018.
18 	Alec Reid 	 	 	complications related to epilepsy 	Played one season in the QMJHL between the Drummondville Voltigeurs and Blainville-Boisbriand Armada, with whom he was a member of at the time of his death.
21 	Arunas Bermejo 	 	 	heart attack 	Had moved to Lithuania to further his hockey career. Played for the Mexico national team at junior level and at the 2017 Division IIB World Championship.
24 	Florian Janny 	 	 	murder 	Shot to death along with his girlfriend and her family members.
29 	Samvel Mnatsyan 	 	 	cancer 	Defenceman. Played 183 games in the KHL for Barys Nur-Sultan, HC Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk and Admiral Vladivostok.
===2020–present day===
Age	Player 	Nationality	Date of death 	Cause of death 	Notes
18 	Vilen Prokofyev 	 	 	Ewing's sarcoma 	Goaltender. Played in the MHL for the Snezhnye Barsy. Played 4 games for the Kazakhstan U-18 team.
25 	Colby Cave 	 	 	brain bleed due to a colloid cyst	Player in the NHL for the Edmonton Oilers. Also played in the NHL for the Boston Bruins and Edmonton Oilers. Was in medically induced coma prior to death.
20 	Ondřej Buchtela 	 	 	heart cancer 	Played 27 regular season games for Piráti Chomutov of the Czech Extraliga over three seasons. He also had a number of loan spells in the 1st Czech Republic Hockey League and last played for HC Benátky nad Jizerou. Played in the 2017 IIHF World U18 Championships for the Czech Republic.
30 	Adam Comrie 	 	 	motorcycle accident 	Drafted 80th overall in the 2008 NHL draft by Florida Panthers. Comrie spent eight seasons in the AHL and the ECHL before joining Klagenfurt AC whom he helped capture league title in EBEL in 2019.
19 	Timur Faizutdinov	 	March 16, 2021	hit in head by puck 	Faizutdinov was the captain of the MHK Dynamo St. Petersburg of the MHL at the time of his death.
32 	Marek Trončinský 	 	May 22, 2021 	cause unknown at this time 	Trončinský played as a defenseman for the team Gyergyói HK of the Erste Liga at the time of his death.
24 	Matīss Kivlenieks	 	July 4, 2021 	fireworks accident 	Goaltender for the Columbus Blue Jackets of the NHL. Also played for the Latvian national team in the 2021 IIHF World Championship.
20 	Mack Motzko 	 	July 24, 2021 	car crash 	During his final season, played for Sioux Falls Stampede in USHL and New Mexico Ice Wolves in NAHL. Son of long-time college coach Bob Motzko.
== References==
==External links==
*LostHockey.com
Category:Lists of ice hockey players