Spector on KHL crash: Family first

Daniel Tjarnqvist is reason today to always remember: Putting your family first is never the wrong thing to do.

The former Atlanta, Minnesota, Edmonton and Colorado defenceman had gone back to Europe, playing for Yaroslavl Lokomotiv for the past two seasons. But faced with the decision of returning to Russia for the 2011-12 season, or bringing his family home to Sweden and playing with his younger brother Mathias, he chose Djurgarden of the Swedish Elite League.

“It was a decision we made within the family,” Tjarnqvist told a media gathering in Sweden Thursday. “It was time to go back home again.”

It was, of course, a decision that Tjarnqvist lived to talk about. He was not on the chartered plane bound for Lokomotiv’s season opener in Minsk.

The hockey world crackled Thursday with sorrowful stories of those who died, and blessed tales of decisions that gave others another chance at life. Like Tjarnqvist and the numerous players who had chosen other European teams over powerful Lokomotiv. Or Lokomotiv goaltending coach Jorma Valtonen, who had been disappointed when asked to stay home and work with the junior goalies in Yaroslavl’s system, rather than travel to Minsk.

He had lunch with team the day before, said his goodbyes, and was not on the flight he had hoped to be on.

Brad McCrimmon was wonderfully characterized by our Roger Millions on Connected, and in print by the Globe and Mail’s Allan Maki, who wrote that McCrimmon had a heart the size of his hometown – Plenty, Sask. They retold the story of that night at the 1979 Memorial Cup, where McCrimmon played for the Brandon Wheat Kings.

The Peterborough Petes were the opponent on a memorable night when McCrimmon logged 60 minutes 38 seconds of ice time. The only two minutes of game time he missed were spent in the penalty box.

Dave King admitted his fear of Russian aviation standards when he coached in the KHL, noting that his players dubbed the team charter aircraft “Pterodactyl Air,” a homage to the Flintstones.

“I can remember being over there and taxiing off the runway and I’ve got my fingers crossed hoping we’ll get off the ground,” King said.

Those stories used to be funny, but they have lost their humour now.

As North Americans followed the twitter accounts of Washington-based, Russian writers Slava Malamud and Dmitry Chesnokov — which have been nothing short of riveting — Chesnokov translated passages from Sovietsky Sport on the rescue of the sole surviving player, Alexander Galimov, by local fishermen.

“He was badly burned; we didn’t know how to help him,” one fisherman said. “We got him into the boat. He was very cold and asked us to cover him. We called doctors and started traveling to Yaroslavl. We spoke to him all the way to the hospital to keep him conscious. He was very brave. When we got him to the ambulance we asked his name and he said ‘I’m Galimov.’”

At day’s end Thursday, Galimov was still alive, possibly in need of a trachea transplant after sustaining serious burns.

The Czechs announced they will retire the numbers of Josef Vasichek, Karel Rachunek and Jan Marek, while the Slovaks will hang Pavol Demitra’s jersey in a place of high honour.

“I had a close friend there, Ruslan Salei,” said Tjarnqvist. “He as well as Stefan Liv asked about (Lokomotiv) before they signed. We became good friends, and right now I mostly think about the families. There are many people you miss.

“I lost a hockey family there but I have a hockey family here at home as well. Going to practice feels kind of safe; to be with the family at home, but also with the family in Djurgarden. It is not easy to practice, it is not so important anymore. But I am with my family.”