Alexei Cherepanov

Alexei Andreyevich Cherepanov (; 15 January 1989 – 13 October 2008) was a Russian professional ice hockey player. He was a winger for Avangard Omsk of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). Previously, Cherepanov had played for Avangard's lower-level teams, and then for the senior men's team in the Russian Super League. Cherepanov was selected in the first round (17th overall) of the 2007 National Hockey League (NHL) Entry Draft by the New York Rangers, although he never played professional hockey in North America. Cherepanov represented Russia in international play, and played in several tournaments at the junior level. He won a gold medal at the 2007 World Under-18 Championships. While playing at the Under-20 level, Cherepanov won silver and bronze medals in 2007 and 2008.

During a KHL game in October 2008, Cherepanov collapsed on the bench near the end of the game, and could not be resuscitated. He was pronounced dead later that day in hospital at age 19. His cause of death was attributed to heart failure, although there were varying reports as to the specific nature of his underlying medical condition. After his death, the KHL launched an investigation into the emergency response provided by the home team during the game, and also into team officials and physicians for their treatment and management of Cherepanov's health during his career. Avangard retired Cherepanov's #7 jersey after his death, and the KHL renamed its Rookie of the Year trophy to the Alexei Cherepanov Trophy.

Playing career Cherepanov was born in Siberia, and played minor hockey for the Motor Barnaul organization. He made his debut for the team in the Russian third division during the 2005–06 season, appearing in five games and scoring two goals. During the 2006–07 season, Cherepanov split time between Avangard's club in the Russian Superleague (RSL) and the Russian third division. While playing with the top-level club, Cherepanov scored 18 goals and added 11 assists in 46 games. For his play the previous season, Cherepanov was named RSL Newcomer of the Year.

Cherepanov was eligible for the 2007 National Hockey League (NHL) Entry Draft after the 2006–07 season. Throughout most of the season leading up to the draft, Cherepanov was the top ranked prospect in Europe. Prior to the draft, Cherepanov attended the NHL Scouting Combine, allowing clubs to evaluate his physical attributes and schedule interviews, if they needed additional information prior to his selection. Those attending the combine were struck by Cherepanov's apparent physical immaturity, pointing out his low number of bench press repetitions, and his physique. Some attributed Cherepanov's lower draft selection to concerns about his availability for the NHL, considering the lack of a transfer agreement between the NHL and the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) concerning Russian players. Cherepanov was excited to be selected by the Rangers, saying, "I believe that New York is the center of the United States and I'm very happy to be selected by the New York Rangers." At the start of the 2007–08 season, Cherepanov returned to Avangard playing in 46 games and scoring 15 goals, this time in the newly created Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). During the 2008–09 season, Cherepanov was joined on the Avangard roster by Czech forward Jaromír Jágr. He scored five goals and added three assists to finish with eight points. Later that same year, Cherepanov stepped down to his age group and helped Russia win the gold medal at the 2007 IIHF World U18 Championships, scoring a goal in the final against the United States. Cherepanov was named Russia's Player of the Game for the gold medal game. Cherepanov earned a spot on the tournament All-Star Team,

The 2007 Super Series was a tournament that pitted the top junior hockey players in Canada and Russia against each other in an 8-game series to commemorate the 35th anniversary of the 1972 Summit Series. After being drafted by the New York Rangers earlier in the summer, Cherepanov was one of the biggest names on Russia's roster heading into the series. In the second game of the series, Cherepanov suffered a concussion after a hit from Brandon Sutter and was out for the remainder of the series.

Cherepanov's final international appearance for Russia came at the 2008 World Junior Championships, where he helped Russia to a bronze medal. He was particularly effective in the third place game, recording 3 points during a 4–2 victory over the United States. He finished the event with six total points (three goals and three assists). The NHL Central Scouting Bureau identified his offensive skills as the biggest strength of his game, and felt he needed to work on his physical play and consistency. After finishing a shift, Cherepanov skated to the bench with his teammates, Jaromír Jágr and Pavel Rosa, where according to coach Wayne Fleming, "He just laid back, passed out and went kind of white."

Despite being from a town over 400 miles away from Omsk, Cherepanov's family wanted him to be buried in Omsk, a city that had embraced him during his young hockey career. Thousands of people attended his funeral. His casket was available for viewing on the ice in Avangard's arena before being carried to Staro-Severnoye Cemetery for interment.

Investigation In the immediate aftermath of Cherepanov's death, there were many conflicting reports and accusations. Early reports indicated that Cherepanov suffered from chronic myocardial ischemia, and many reports questioned Avangard Omsk's medical staff and why they were unaware of his heart condition. Further reports out of Russia suggested a hypertrophic heart, which would be more in line with other cases of sudden death in athletes. Initial concerns were raised as to why Cherepanov had been allowed to play, if he had a heart condition that should have been picked up by routine medical tests that he was believed to have undergone.

The investigation into Cherepanov's death continued for several months. In December, reports out of Russia indicated that blood and urine samples collected from Cherepanov showed that he had been engaged in blood doping. This was later clarified, as Russian officials said that what initially appeared to be blood doping was actually an attempt by team officials and doctors to treat Cherepanov's condition surreptitiously. After this revelation in January 2009, the KHL suspended five Avangard officials and doctors for attempting to treat a condition which should have only been managed by experienced cardiologists. Cherepanov's agent, Jay Grossman stated that tests conducted by the NHL prior to the 2007 Entry Draft had not shown any health problems.

Legacy Shortly after Cherepanov's death, Avangard Omsk retired his #7 jersey in a ceremony prior to a game against Dynamo Minsk, with his parents in the crowd. The KHL renamed its Rookie of the Year award the "Alexei Cherepanov Award" starting in 2009. An under-20 tournament, held in August 2013, was dedicated to his memory. The tournament featured 6 teams including two Russian clubs, and national sides from Great Britain, Poland, Belarus and host Lithuania.

The KHL examined their policies immediately following Cherepanov's death, particularly as concerns were raised about the effectiveness of the emergency response. New regulations were enacted requiring that two ambulances be present at every KHL game. They also called on the Russian government to enforce minimum standards for the equipment on ambulances. The league also instituted a program that would allow key personnel to have access to a standard set of medical information about all players in the league, dubbed a "medical passport." The team was eventually awarded the 17th selection of the second round in the 2009 draft, after the Rangers' proposal was approved by the rest of the league. NHL general managers also voted to adopt a rule change, dubbed the "Cherepanov rule" that would see any future teams receive compensation if a prospect selected in the first round dies before signing a contract.

Career statistics Regular season and playoffs Regular season Playoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 2005–06 Omskie Yastreby RUS.3 42002 ————— 2006–07 Avangard–2 Omsk RUS.3 31010 ————— 2006–07 Avangard Omsk RSL 4618112945 103580 2007–08 Avangard Omsk RSL 4615132812 42130 2008–09 Avangard Omsk KHL 1585136 ————— RSL/KHL totals 10741297063 1456110

International Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM 2006 Russia IH18 4 1 1 2 4 2007 Russia WJC 65382 2007 Russia U18 75386 2008 Russia WJC 63362 Junior totals 2314102414

Awards and honours

International Award Year IIHF World U18 Championships Top Three Player for Russia 2007 IIHF World U18 Championships Player of the Game 2007 vs. United States IIHF World U18 Championships Tournament All-Star 2007 IIHF World U20 Championships Top Three Player for Russia 2007 IIHF World U20 Championships Tournament All-Star 2007 IIHF World U20 Championships Best Forward 2007

Professional Award Year Russian Super League Newcomer of the Year 2006–07