Former Boston Bruins Defenseman, 42 Others Killed In KHL Plane Crash

A plane carrying members of the KHL's Lokomotiv Yaroslavl crashed upon take off on Wednesday, killing at least 43 people, including most if not all of the team. The team was on their way to their first game of the season, which was set to be played against Minsk.

Among those who perished was Brad McCrimmon, a former NHL player who was the head coach of Lokomotiv. McCrimmon was a 1979 draft pick of the Boston Bruins, who selected the Saskatchewan native 15th overall. The defenseman played three seasons with the Bruins until joining the Philadelphia Flyers in 1982. He was a popular member of the Flyers for five seasons, and proceeded to join the Calgary Flames and win the Stanley Cup with them in 1989. He retired from playing in 1997.

McCrimmon was a well-known NHL assistant coach after his playing days were done, and spent last season as an assistant with the Detroit Red Wings. He left the Red Wings organization in May, and joined the KHL's team in Yaroslavl soon after.

Other NHL players killed in Wednesday's crash include Karlis Skrastins, Ruslan Salei, Karel Rachunek, Josef Vasicek and Pavol Demitra. Two players who were well known in the international hockey community, Yuri Urychev and Daniil Sobchenko, who recently won the World Junior Championships with Russia's team, were also killed in the crash.

Yahoo Puck Daddy's European hockey reporter Dmitry Chesnokov Tweeted a team official's reaction to the horrible tragedy:

"Lokomotiv official: "At first we didn't want to believe it. But right now there is no hope. The team is gone."

Follow SBNation Hockey for more information on the KHL plane crash.