Rangers Prospect Cherepanov Dies During KHL Game

The hockey world received some tragic and shocking news on Monday when New York Rangers prospect forward Alexei Cherepanov collapsed on the bench at or near the end of Omsk's Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) game and died a short time later. He was just 19 years old. Efforts were made by medical authorities to get Cherepanov's heart beating again after it had stopped. According to reports out of Russia, the ambulance at the arena had left and had to be called back again. There are also reports that it took Cherepanov 15 to 20 minutes to be transported to the hospital and that defibrillators at the arena may not have been in good working order. Cherepanov had set the RSL record for goals by a rookie that had previously been held by Pavel Bure. He was drafted in the 1st round, 17th overall in 2007 by the Rangers and helped lead Russia to a bronze medal at the 2008 World Junior Championships.