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 1930

Age	Player	Nationality	Date of death	Cause of death	Notes
28	Higginbotham, FredFred Higginbotham	Canada	September 7, 1896	horse riding accident	Member of the Winnipeg Victorias; won Stanley Cup in February 1896 in a challenge match against the Montreal Victorias.
24	McGee, James A.James A. McGee[1]	Canada	May 15, 1904	horse riding accident	Member of the Ottawa Silver Seven, captain of the Ottawa Rough Riders; brother of Frank McGee.
23	Hooper, ArchieArchie Hooper[2]	Canada	October 11, 1904	complications from on-ice injury	Member of 1902 and 1903 Montreal Hockey Club Stanley Cup champions.
24	Laurin, AlcideAlcide Laurin[3]	Canada	February 24, 1905	result of an on-ice incident	Laurin was beaten to death by 19-year-old Allan Loney, a player on a rival team from Maxville, Ontario.
22	McCourt, OwenOwen McCourt	Canada	March 7, 1907	on-ice head injury	Murder charges were laid against other players in game in Cornwall, Ontario. There were no convictions.
28	Stuart, HodHod Stuart	Canada	June 23, 1907	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	Dey, EdgarEdgar Dey	Canada	February 13, 1912	on-ice chest injury	Stanley Cup winner with Ottawa Senators in 1909.
24	Davidson, AllanAllan Davidson	Canada	June 16, 1915	World War I casualty	Played professionally for Toronto Blueshirts. Stanley Cup winner in 1914. Member of the Hockey Hall of Fame.
23	Irvine, DelDel Irvine[4]	Canada	April 13, 1916	pneumonia	Played professionally for Portland Rosebuds. PCHA champion in 1916.
32	Shore, HambyHamby Shore	Canada	October 13, 1918	influenza	Played nine seasons for the Ottawa Senators.
26	Baker, HobeyHobey Baker	United States	December 21, 1918	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	Hall, JoeJoe Hall	Canada	April 5, 1919	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	Martin, FoleyFoley Martin	Canada	December 9, 1923	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.
39	Vezina, GeorgesGeorges Vézina	Canada	March 27, 1926	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 degrees. 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	Horne, GeorgeGeorge Horne	Canada	July 31, 1929	drowning	Played three seasons in the NHL from 1925 to 1929 with the Montreal Maroons and Toronto Maple Leafs. Stanley Cup champion in 1926.

1930–1969

Age	Player	Nationality	Date of death	Cause of death	Notes
26	Connors, BobbyBobby Connors	United Kingdom	July 27, 1931	broken neck	Played three seasons and 78 games in the NHL from 1926 to 1929–30 for the New York Americans and Detroit Cougars.
29	Gardiner, CharlieCharlie Gardiner	Canada	June 13, 1934	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	Leswick, Jack "Newsy"Jack "Newsy" Leswick	Canada	August 7, 1934	drowning	Played 37 games for the Chicago Black Hawks in 1933–34. Found in a lake with no money, valuables, or car. Stanley Cup Champion in 1934.
30	Miller, EarlEarl Miller	Canada	June 20, 1936	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	Morenz, HowieHowie Morenz	Canada	March 8, 1937	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 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	McConnell, RussellRussell McConnell	Canada	September 7, 1942	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.
30	Deacon, DonDon Deacon	Canada	December 25, 1943	fall from balcony	Played three seasons and 30 games for the Detroit Red Wings from 1936 to 1940.
20	Garrett, DudleyDudley Garrett	Canada	November 25, 1944	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	Turner, JoeJoe Turner	Canada	January 12, 1945	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	Mellups, HarijsHarijs Mellups	Soviet Union	January 5, 1950	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.
24	Novikov, IvanIvan Novikov	Soviet Union	January 5, 1950	plane crash	1947 Soviet Championship bronze medal winner. 1948 Soviet Championship silver medal winner.
30	Bocharnikov, BorisBoris Bocharnikov	Soviet Union	January 5, 1950	plane crash	1947 Soviet Championship gold medal winner. 1948 Soviet Championship bronze medal winner.
31	Zigmund, ZdenekZdenek Zigmund	Soviet Union	January 5, 1950	plane crash	1947 Soviet Championship bronze medal winner. 1948 Soviet Championship silver medal winner.
27	Tarasov, YuriYuri Tarasov	Soviet Union	January 5, 1950	plane crash	Brother of hall of fame player Anatoli Tarasov.
	Šūlmanis, RobertsRoberts Šūlmanis	Soviet Union	January 5, 1950	plane crash
	Volodin, VasilyVasily Volodin	Soviet Union	January 5, 1950	plane crash
	Voronin, EugenyEugeny Voronin	Soviet Union	January 5, 1950	plane crash
	Zhiburtovich, YuriYuri Zhiburtovich	Soviet Union	January 5, 1950	plane crash
	Isaev, VictorVictor Isaev	Soviet Union	January 5, 1950	plane crash
	Moiseev, AlexanderAlexander Moiseev	Soviet Union	January 5, 1950	plane crash
24	Barilko, BillBill Barilko	Canada	August 26, 1951	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	Lowe, RossRoss Lowe	Canada	August 8, 1955	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.
29	Balfour, MurrayMurray Balfour	Canada	May 30, 1965	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	Wasama, JarmoJarmo Wasama	Finland	February 2, 1966	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	Paul, ButchButch Paul	Canada	March 25, 1966	car crash	Played three games for the Detroit Red Wings in 1964–65.
29	Masterton, BillBill Masterton	Canada	January 15, 1968	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.
22	Blinov, ViktorViktor Blinov	Soviet Union	July 9, 1968	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	Larkin, WayneWayne Larkin	Canada	September 13, 1968	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	Sawchuk, TerryTerry Sawchuk	Canada	May 31, 1970	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	Briere, MichelMichel Brière	Canada	April 13, 1971	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	Klimov, KonstantinKonstantin Klimov	Soviet Union	January 8, 1982	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	Mahon, JimJim Mahon	Canada	August 19, 1971	accidental electrocution	Former right winger for the Peterborough Petes. The OHL's Jim Mahon Memorial Trophy is named in his honour.
19	Fendley, PaulPaul Fendley	Canada	May 8, 1972	on-ice head injury	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.[5][6]
28	Svedberg, LennartLennart Svedberg	Sweden	July 29, 1972[7]	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	Horton, TimTim Horton	Canada	February 21, 1974	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	Maki, WayneWayne Maki	Canada	May 12, 1974	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	Kovalev, MikhailMikhail Kovalev	Soviet Union	1975	Unknown	Defenseman. Played for the national Soviet junior team and HC CSKA Moscow. Winner of the European Junior Championship (1973).
24	Gassoff, BobBob Gassoff	Canada	May 27, 1977	motorcycle crash	Played four seasons and 245 games for the St. Louis Blues from 1973 to 1977; the Blues retired his number 3.
30	Suominen, VeikkoVeikko Suominen	Finland	December 21, 1978	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	Garland, ScottScott Garland	Canada	June 9, 1979	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	Najdenov, AlexanderAlexander Najdenov	Soviet Union	1979	murdered, smothering	Forward. Played for HC Spartak Moscow. His murderer was never found.
26	Ashby, DonDon Ashby	Canada	May 30, 1981	car crash	Played six seasons in the NHL for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Colorado Rockies, and Edmonton Oilers from 1975 to 1981
33	Kharlamov, ValeriValeri Kharlamov	Soviet Union	August 27, 1981	car crash	Played in three Olympics, 11 IIHF World Championships and the 1972 Summit Series. Member of the Hockey Hall of Fame.
28	Levonen, RauliRauli Levonen	Finland	December 1, 1981	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.
17	Fetisov, AnatoliAnatoli Fetisov	Soviet Union	June 1985	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	Lindbergh, PellePelle Lindbergh	Sweden	November 11, 1985	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	Pelawa, GeorgeGeorge Pelawa	United States	August 30, 1986	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	Kresse, TrentTrent Kresse[8]	Canada	December 30, 1986	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	Kruger, ScottScott Kruger[8]	Canada	December 30, 1986	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	Mantyka, ChrisChris Mantyka[8]	Canada	December 30, 1986	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	Ruff, BrentBrent Ruff[8]	Canada	December 30, 1986	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	Zemko, AndrewAndrew Zemko	Soviet Union	July 1988	unknown, supposedly heart attack	Defenseman, played for Torpedo Togliatti (today club known as HC Lada Togliatti, KHL, Russia) during 1985–1988. Died during cross-country in training camp.
18	Carnes, NeilNeil Carnes	United States	July 30, 1989	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	MacPherson, DuncanDuncan MacPherson	Canada	August 9, 1989	suffocated in snow	Drafted 20th overall in the 1984 NHL Entry Draft by the New York Islanders. Frozen body found in 2003.

1990–1999

Age	Player	Nationality	Date of death	Cause of death	Notes
18	Tarasov, KirillKirill Tarasov	Soviet Union	1990	car crash	A candidate for the Soviet Nation 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	Cajka, LudekLuděk Čajka	Czechoslovakia	February 14, 1990	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	Durdins, VladimirsVladimirs Durdins	Latvia	May 27, 1990	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.[9]
19	Schrott, MiranMiran Schrott	Italy	January 14, 1992	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.[10]
19	Kopot, ArtemArtem Kopot	Russia	July 20, 1992	car crash	A promising defenceman with the world champion Commonwealth of Independent States national junior team and Drafted sixth round of the 1992 NHL Entry Draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins, Kopot was involved in a fatal one-car crash in his hometown one day prior to his twentieth birthday.
30	Hagglund, RogerRoger Hägglund	Sweden	June 6, 1992	car crash	Played three games for the Quebec Nordiques in 1984–85.
27	Kordic, JohnJohn Kordic	Canada	August 8, 1992	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	Rippingale, GaryGary Rippingale	England	October 31, 1992	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	Colman, MikeMike Colman	United States	April 5, 1994	car crash	Played fifteen games for the San Jose Sharks in 1991–92.
24	Szal, JakubJakub Szal	Poland	December 8, 1994	heart attack	Played in the Polish Extraliga for Podhale Nowy Targ, STS Sanok.[11]
23	Milan, PiotrPiotr Milan	Poland	January 23, 1995	bus accident	Played in the Polish Extraliga for STS Sanok.[12]
29	Karlsson, PeterPeter Karlsson	Sweden	March 11, 1995	stabbed to death	Played in the SEL for VIK Västerås HK.
28	Akerblom, BengtBengt Åkerblom[13]	Sweden	October 15, 1995	on-ice neck and throat injuries	Played 53 SEL games for Djurgårdens IF and five seasons for Mora IK in the second-level league before the accident, which occurred during an exhibition game.
21	Osadchy, AlexanderAlexander Osadchy	Russia	1996	suicide	Drafted in round 4 #80 overall by the San Jose Sharks during the 1993 NHL Draft.
25	Breistroff, MichelMichel Breistroff	France	July 17, 1996	aviation accident (TWA Flight 800)	Played in French national team in 1996 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships. Played NCAA Division I hockey for Harvard University.
25	Batters, JeffJeff Batters	Canada	August 23, 1996	car crash	Played two seasons and sixteen games for the St. Louis Blues from 1993 to 1995.
24	Dupre, YanickYanick Dupré	Canada	August 16, 1997	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	Christie, GrahamGraham Christie[14]	Canada	November 1997	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	Morin, StephaneStéphane Morin	Canada	October 6, 1998	heart attack	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	Silver, ChadChad Silver[15]	Canada   Switzerland	December 3, 1998	heart attack	Played nine seasons and 374 games in the National League A mostly for the HC Fribourg-Gottéron and ZSC Lions Zurich.
26	Haviar, TiborTibor Haviar	Slovakia	1999	shooting	Was goalkeeper, played for MHk 32 Liptovský Mikuláš and STS Sanok and represented Western Slovakia. Shot dead by unknown offender.[16]
34	Rautianen, PetriPetri Rautianen	Finland	1999	brain tumour	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 tumour. His jersey was retired by Newcastle in 2001.[17]
32	Chiasson, SteveSteve Chiasson	Canada	May 3, 1999	car crash	Played thirteen seasons and 751 games in the National Hockey League for the Detroit Red Wings, Calgary Flames, Hartford Whalers and Carolina Hurricanes from 1986–87 to 1998–99.
22	Tertyshny, DmitriDmitri Tertyshny[18]	Russia	July 23, 1999	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
29	Malicki, ArturArtur Malicki	Poland	February 14, 2001	hit by car as a pedestrian	Played in the Polish Extraliga for Unia Oświęcim.[19]
38	Ageikin, SergeiSergei Ageikin	Russia	May 31, 2001	leukemia[20]	Played for Spartak Moskwa, Podhale Nowy Targ, Vityaz Podolsk, participated in IIHF World Championships 1986 (won gold medal with Soviet Union).
32	Bezukladnikov, ViacheslavViacheslav Bezukladnikov	Russia	July 10, 2001	liver cirrhosis	Master of Sports, forward. Champion of Russia (1994, 1996), silver medalist of Russian championships (1993, 1995, 1997), winner of the European Cup (1997). Played for "Avtomobilist" Sverdlovsk, "SKA" Sverdlovsk, HC Lada Togliatti and the Russian national team. 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	Batovsky, ZoltanZoltan Batovsky	Slovakia	August 8, 2001	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	Yegorov, AlexeiAlexei Yegorov	Russia	March 2, 2002	drug overdose	Drafted in round 3 #66 overall by the San Jose Sharks during the 1994 NHL Draft.
22	Krevsun, AlexanderAlexander Krevsun[21]	Kazakhstan	July 3, 2002	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	Tootoo, TerenceTerence Tootoo	Canada	August 26, 2002	suicide	Played for the Roanoke Express (ECHL) and OCN Blizzard (MJHL). Brother of NHLer Jordin Tootoo.
24	Lyashenko, RomanRoman Lyashenko[22]	Russia	July 5, 2003	suicide by hanging	Played four seasons in the NHL for the Dallas Stars and New York Rangers from 1999 to 2003.
23	Ettinger, TrevorTrevor Ettinger	Canada	July 26, 2003	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.
29	Pastuszak, GrzegorzGrzegorz Pastuszak	Poland	August 14, 2003	hit by car as a pedestrian	Played in the Polish Extraliga for SKH Sanok.
25	Snyder, DanDan Snyder[23]	Canada	October 5, 2003	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	Karachun, ViktorViktor Karachun	Belarus	August 11, 2004	cancer[24]	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	Ustyugov, AnatoliAnatoli Ustyugov[25]	Russia	September 27, 2004	murder, head injury	Played in Russia on teams such as Amur Khabarovsk, Lada Tolliati, and Spartak Moscow.
31	Žoltoks, SergejsSergejs Žoltoks[26]	Latvia	November 3, 2004	hypertrophic cardiomyopathy during a match	Played ten seasons and 588 games in the National Hockey League for six teams from 1992 to 2004.
18	Logan, JaxonJaxon Logan[27]	USA	January 21, 2005	on-ice accident	Played for Brigham Young University men's ice hockey. Was hit by a puck which stopped his heart.
28	Delisle, JonathanJonathan Delisle	Canada	March 16, 2006	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. In his honor, 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	Blaho, StefanStefan Blaho	Slovakia	August 30, 2006	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	Savin, AlexeiAlexei Savin	Belarus	June 18, 2007	car crash	Played for the Belarusian national team.
30	Cech, MartinMartin Čech	Czech Republic	September 6, 2007	car crash	Played in the Czech Extraliga.
26	Robinson, DarcyDarcy Robinson[28]	Canada	September 27, 2007	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	Renaud, MickeyMickey Renaud[29]	Canada	February 18, 2008	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	Bourdon, LucLuc Bourdon[30]	Canada	May 29, 2008	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	Ramolla, KJKJ Ramolla	Canada	June 28, 2008	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	Antosik, IgorIgor Antosik	Russia	July 25, 2008	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	Kapec, DomagojDomagoj Kapec	Croatia	September 12, 2008	car crash	Played for KHL Zagreb in his homeland. Represented Croatia at two IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships.
19	Cherepanov, AlexeiAlexei Cherepanov[31][32]	Russia	October 13, 2008	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	Sanderson, DonDon Sanderson	Canada	January 2, 2009	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	Ocskay, GaborGábor Ocskay[33]	Hungary	March 24, 2009	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	Vajarov, KirilKiril Vajarov[34]	Bulgaria	April 18, 2009	stabbing	Goaltender who played for Slavia Sofia in Bulgaria. Was a member of Bulgarian national team for two World Championships.
28	Muller, RobertRobert Müller[35]	Germany	May 21, 2009	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	Kuchin, AlexeiAlexei Kuchin	Russia	September 26, 2009	car crash	Forward. Played for HC Krilya Sovetov (MHL, Russia).

2010–present

Age	Player	Nationality	Date of death	Cause of death	Notes
23	Igor Misko[36]	Russia	July 6, 2010	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[37]	Canada	October 2, 2010	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	Germany	November 3, 2010	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.[38]
28	Tom Cavanagh[39]	United States	January 7, 2011	suicide[40]	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	Canada	April 3, 2011	acute myeloid leukemia	Played for Yale University Bulldogs. Her younger brother Jaden is a St. Louis Blues player.
28	Derek Boogaard	Canada	May 13, 2011	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.[41]
27	Rick Rypien	Canada	August 15, 2011	suicide[42]	Played 119 NHL games between 2005 and 2011. Rypien is also the cousin of former NFL quarterback Mark Rypien, Super Bowl XXVI MVP
36	Pavol Demitra	Slovakia	September 7, 2011	plane crash[43]	Played 847 NHL games between 1993 and 2010. He won the Lady Byng Trophy for sportsmanship in 2000. In 2003 he won a Bronze Medal playing for Slovakia in the World Championships. Slovakia men's national ice hockey team retired his number 38.[44]
30	Josef Vašíček	Czech Republic	September 7, 2011	plane crash[43]	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.[44]
32	Karel Rachůnek	Czech Republic	September 7, 2011	plane crash[43]	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.[44]
31	Jan Marek	Czech Republic	September 7, 2011	plane crash[43]	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.[44]
30	Stefan Liv	Sweden	September 7, 2011	plane crash[43]	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	Latvia	September 7, 2011	plane crash[43]	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	Belarus	September 7, 2011	plane crash[43]	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	Ukraine  Russia	September 7, 2011	plane crash[45]	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	Russia	September 7, 2011	plane crash[45]	Played 158 regular games in the KHL. 2000 World U20 Championship Silver Medal winner.
24	Gennady Churilov	Russia	September 7, 2011	plane crash[45]	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	Germany	September 7, 2011	plane crash[45]	Member of the German National team in 2007, 2010 and 2011 IIHF World Championships.
23	Marat Kalimulin	Russia	September 7, 2011	plane crash[45]	Played 102 regular games in the KHL. 2008 IIHF World U20 Championship Bronze Medal winner.
23	Alexander Kalyanin	Russia	September 7, 2011	plane crash[45]	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	Russia	September 7, 2011	plane crash[45]	Played 107 regular games in the KHL. 2007 IIHF World U20 Championship Silver Medal winner.
21	Nikita Klyukin	Russia	September 7, 2011	plane crash[45]	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	Belarus	September 7, 2011	plane crash[45]	Played 36 regular games in the KHL for Lokomotiv Yaroslavl.
18	Maxim Shuvalov	Russia	September 7, 2011	plane crash[45]	2011 World U18 Championship Bronze Medal winner. Played 51 regular games in the MHL for Loko Yaroslavl.
19	Pavel Snurnitsyn	Russia	September 7, 2011	plane crash[45]	Played 115 regular games in the MHL for Loko Yaroslavl.
20	Daniil Sobchenko	Ukraine  Russia	September 7, 2011	plane crash[45]	Played 51 regular games in the KHL for Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. 2011 World Junior Championship Gold Medal winner.
31	Ivan Tkachenko	Russia	September 7, 2011	plane crash[45]	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	Russia	September 7, 2011	plane crash[45]	Played 589 regular games in Russian Super League and KHL.
20	Yuri Urychev	Russia	September 7, 2011	plane crash[45]	Played 23 regular games in the KHL for Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. 2011 World Junior Championship Gold Medal winner.
23	Alexander Vasyunov	Russia	September 7, 2011	plane crash[45]	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	Ukraine  Russia	September 7, 2011	plane crash[45]	Goaltender. Played 647 regular games in Russian Super League and KHL. Winner of 2003–04 Russian Superleague championship.
21	Artem Yarchuk	Russia	September 7, 2011	plane crash[45]	2008 World U18 Championship Silver Medal winner.
26	Alexander Galimov	Russia	September 12, 2011	injuries sustained in a plane crash[45][46]	Member of the silver-medal winning Russian U20 team at the 2005 IIHF World U20 Championship
16	Maxim Koposov	Russia	February 17, 2012	hit by puck during game[47]
23	Bryan Rufenach	Canada	June 4, 2012	electrocution[48]	Drafted 208th overall in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, by the Detroit Red Wings. Fatally electrocuted while on vacation in Switzerland.
34	Remir Khaidarov	Russia	June 29, 2012	fire[49]
32	Dmitri Uchaykin	Russia	March 31, 2013	hit in head during game[50]	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	Latvia	June 11, 2013	drowning[51]	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	Norway	June 12, 2013	undetermined[52]	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	Canada	August 12, 2013	cardiac arrest[53]	Played for Acadie–Bathurst Titan in the QMJHL
27	Stasiowski, TomaszTomasz Stasiowski	Poland	October 5, 2013	motorcycle crash[54]	Played in the Polish Extraliga for TMH Polonia Bytom, and for Poland U-18, U-20.[55]
19	Peter Halash	USA	January 5, 2014	car accident[56]	Played for the Topeka Roadrunners in the NAHL.[56] Died in a single-car accident on icy roads in Kansas.[56]
20	Terry Trafford	Canada	March 11, 2014	suicide[57]	Played for the Saginaw Spirit in the OHL.[58] Died as a result of self-inflicted asphyxiation after going missing 8 days prior.[57]
21	Nick Egan	USA	August 9, 2014	hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, cardiac arrest[59]	Defenceman for the Estevan Bruins of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League. Had graduated from the team and was pursuing a professional contract.[60]
16	Alexander Orekhov	Russia	February 2, 2016	blocked a shot with his neck during a game[61]	Played for Metallurg Novokuznetsk of the Russia U18 League. Played 18 games, picking up 9 points before his death.

See also

• List of sportspeople who died during their careers

References

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External links

• LostHockey.com