Karlis Skrastinš
Encyclopedia
Kārlis Skrastiņš was a Latvia
n professional ice hockey
player. Skrastins was a member of Lokomotiv Yaroslavl
of the Kontinental Hockey League
(KHL) and was on board the team plane which crashed on September 7, 2011. Skrastins played eleven seasons in the National Hockey League
(NHL) before joining Lokomotiv in 2011.
with the 230th pick in the ninth round of 1998 NHL Entry Draft
. He played for Nashville for next five seasons until being traded to the Colorado Avalanche
in 2003. On February 8, 2007, he played in his 487th consecutive game to pass Tim Horton
for the longest playing streak in NHL history for a defenceman. Skrastiņš' streak ended at 495 games, when he missed a February 25, 2007 game against the Anaheim Ducks
with a knee injury. He had previously missed only one other game due to injury in his career — against St. Louis on February 18, 2000, with a minor shoulder injury. The streak led to him being given the nickname "Ironman".
In his fourth season with the Avalanche in 2007–08
, he was traded to the Florida Panthers
for Ruslan Salei
on February 26, 2008. In his first full season with the Panthers in 2008–09, Skrastiņš scored a career high 18 points in 80 games. On October 16, 2008, he played his 600th career NHL game against the Minnesota Wild
and on November 1, 2008, he scored his 100th point in his NHL career in a 3–2 loss fittingly against his original club, the Nashville Predators.
On July 2, 2009, he was signed by the Dallas Stars
to a two-year contract worth $2.75 million. He scored his only two goals of the 2009–10 season, including the game winner, on December 19 in a 4–3 Stars victory over the Detroit Red Wings
.
On May 17, 2011, after eleven seasons in the NHL, Skrastiņš left to sign a contract with Russia
n team, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl.
to play their opening game of the season, with its coaching staff and prospects. Lokomotiv officials said "'everyone from the main roster was on the plane plus four players from the youth team.'"
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
n professional ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
player. Skrastins was a member of Lokomotiv Yaroslavl
Lokomotiv Yaroslavl
Hockey Club Lokomotiv , also known as Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, is a Russian professional ice hockey team based in Yaroslavl. The name of the team is derived from its owner, Russian Railways, the national railroad operator....
of the Kontinental Hockey League
Kontinental Hockey League
The Kontinental Hockey League is an international professional ice hockey league in Eurasia founded in 2008. As of 2009, it is ranked as the strongest hockey league in Europe....
(KHL) and was on board the team plane which crashed on September 7, 2011. Skrastins played eleven seasons in the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
(NHL) before joining Lokomotiv in 2011.
Playing career
Skrastiņš was drafted by Nashville PredatorsNashville Predators
The Nashville Predators are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
with the 230th pick in the ninth round of 1998 NHL Entry Draft
1998 NHL Entry Draft
The 1998 NHL Entry Draft was held on June 27 at the Marine Midland Arena in Buffalo, New York. A total of 258 players were drafted.- Selections by round :Club teams are located in North America unless otherwise noted.- Round one :- Round two :...
. He played for Nashville for next five seasons until being traded to the Colorado Avalanche
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Avalanche have won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1995–96 and 2000–01. The franchise...
in 2003. On February 8, 2007, he played in his 487th consecutive game to pass Tim Horton
Tim Horton
Myles Gilbert "Tim" Horton was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman. He played in 24 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Buffalo Sabres. He was also a businessman and a co-founder of Tim Hortons. He died in an...
for the longest playing streak in NHL history for a defenceman. Skrastiņš' streak ended at 495 games, when he missed a February 25, 2007 game against the Anaheim Ducks
Anaheim Ducks
The Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California, USA. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
with a knee injury. He had previously missed only one other game due to injury in his career — against St. Louis on February 18, 2000, with a minor shoulder injury. The streak led to him being given the nickname "Ironman".
In his fourth season with the Avalanche in 2007–08
2007-08 NHL season
The 2007–08 NHL season was the 91st season of operation of the National Hockey League . It began on September 29, 2007, with the regular season ending April 6, 2008...
, he was traded to the Florida Panthers
Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in Sunrise, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their games at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise and are the...
for Ruslan Salei
Ruslan Salei
Ruslan Albertovich "Rusty" Salei was a Belarusian professional ice hockey player. Salei played 14 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Detroit Red Wings, Colorado Avalanche, Florida Panthers and the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, who selected him ninth overall in the 1996 NHL Entry Draft...
on February 26, 2008. In his first full season with the Panthers in 2008–09, Skrastiņš scored a career high 18 points in 80 games. On October 16, 2008, he played his 600th career NHL game against the Minnesota Wild
Minnesota Wild
The Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
and on November 1, 2008, he scored his 100th point in his NHL career in a 3–2 loss fittingly against his original club, the Nashville Predators.
On July 2, 2009, he was signed by the Dallas Stars
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The...
to a two-year contract worth $2.75 million. He scored his only two goals of the 2009–10 season, including the game winner, on December 19 in a 4–3 Stars victory over the Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
.
On May 17, 2011, after eleven seasons in the NHL, Skrastiņš left to sign a contract with Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n team, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl.
Death
On September 7, 2011, he was killed, when a Yakovlev Yak-42 passenger aircraft, carrying nearly his entire Lokomotiv team, crashed just outside Yaroslavl, Russia. The team was traveling to MinskMinsk
- Ecological situation :The ecological situation is monitored by Republican Center of Radioactive and Environmental Control .During 2003–2008 the overall weight of contaminants increased from 186,000 to 247,400 tons. The change of gas as industrial fuel to mazut for financial reasons has worsened...
to play their opening game of the season, with its coaching staff and prospects. Lokomotiv officials said "'everyone from the main roster was on the plane plus four players from the youth team.'"
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season Season (sports) In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an... |
Team | League | GP | G Goal (ice hockey) In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to... |
A Assist (ice hockey) In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal... |
Pts Point (ice hockey) Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one... |
PIM Penalty (ice hockey) A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,... |
GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1991–92 | Pardaugava Riga | LHL Latvian Hockey League The Latvian Hockey League is a professional ice hockey league based in Latvia. It is also known in Latvian as Latvijas atklātais čempionāts hokejā .... |
16 | 7 | 6 | 13 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1992–93 | Pardaugava Riga | LHL | 10 | 7 | 2 | 9 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1992–93 | Pardaugava Riga | RSL Russian Superleague The Russian Superleague , commonly abbreviated as RSL, was the highest division of the main professional ice hockey league in Russia. It was considered the second best league in the world, after the National Hockey League of North America... |
40 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1993–94 | Pardaugava Riga | RSL | 42 | 7 | 5 | 12 | 18 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | ||
| 1994–95 | Pardaugava Riga | RSL | 52 | 4 | 14 | 18 | 69 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1995–96 | TPS TPS (ice hockey) TPS or Turun Palloseura is an ice hockey team and 11-time champion of SM-liiga. They play in Turku, Finland at the HK Arena. In terms of championships, TPS is the most successful team in SM-liiga history.-Team history:... |
SM-l SM-liiga The SM-liiga is the top professional ice hockey league in Finland. As of March 2008, it is ranked by the IIHF as the second strongest league in Europe. It was created in 1975 to replace the SM-sarja, which was fundamentally an amateur league. The SM-liiga is not directly overseen by the Finnish Ice... |
50 | 4 | 11 | 15 | 32 | 11 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 10 | ||
| 1996–97 | TPS | SM-l | 50 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 20 | 12 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 2 | ||
| 1997–98 | TPS | SM-l | 48 | 4 | 15 | 19 | 67 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1998–99 | Nashville Predators Nashville Predators The Nashville Predators are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League... |
NHL National Hockey League The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States... |
2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1998–99 | Milwaukee Admirals Milwaukee Admirals The Milwaukee Admirals are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They play in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA at the Bradley Center.-History:... |
IHL | 75 | 8 | 36 | 44 | 47 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 1999–00 | Nashville Predators | NHL | 59 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1999–00 | Milwaukee Admirals | IHL | 19 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2000–01 | Nashville Predators | NHL | 82 | 1 | 11 | 12 | 30 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2001–02 | Nashville Predators | NHL | 82 | 4 | 13 | 17 | 36 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2002–03 | Nashville Predators | NHL | 82 | 3 | 10 | 13 | 44 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2003–04 | Colorado Avalanche Colorado Avalanche The Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Avalanche have won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1995–96 and 2000–01. The franchise... |
NHL | 82 | 5 | 8 | 13 | 26 | 11 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | ||
| 2004–05 | HK Riga 2000 HK Riga 2000 HK Riga 2000 was a Belarusian Extraliga team based in Riga, Latvia. The team had played in the LHL since it was founded. In 2004-05 and 2005-06 seasons the club also iced a team in the Belarusian Hockey League, and in 2005-06 finished 3rd. HK Riga 2000 was first foreign team to finish in top three... |
BLR Belarusian Extraliga The Belarusian Extraleague , officially formed in 2006, is the top ice hockey league in Belarus... |
34 | 8 | 17 | 25 | 30 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | ||
| 2004–05 | HK Riga 2000 | LHL | 4 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 9 | 3 | 10 | 13 | 33 | ||
| 2005–06 | Colorado Avalanche | NHL | 82 | 3 | 11 | 14 | 65 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 10 | ||
| 2006–07 | Colorado Avalanche | NHL | 68 | 0 | 11 | 11 | 30 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 | Colorado Avalanche | NHL | 43 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 | Florida Panthers Florida Panthers The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in Sunrise, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their games at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise and are the... |
NHL | 17 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 2008–09 NHL season The 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the season, following three seasons where teams only played against two divisions in the... |
Florida Panthers | NHL | 80 | 4 | 14 | 18 | 30 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2009–10 2009–10 NHL season The 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation of the National Hockey League , and the 100th season since the founding of the predecessor National Hockey Association . It ran from October 1, 2009, including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010... |
Dallas Stars Dallas Stars The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The... |
NHL | 79 | 2 | 11 | 13 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2010–11 2010–11 NHL season The 2010–11 NHL season was the 94th season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the fourth consecutive season that opened in Europe with NHL Premiere . A record three events were scheduled, all in previous NHL Premiere cities: Helsinki, Finland; Stockholm, Sweden; and Prague, Czech... |
Dallas Stars | NHL | 74 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 38 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 832 | 32 | 104 | 136 | 375 | 20 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 12 | ||||
International
| Year | Team | Event | GP | G Goal (ice hockey) In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to... |
A Assist (ice hockey) In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal... |
Pts Point (ice hockey) Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one... |
PIM Penalty (ice hockey) A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,... |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 1993 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships - Group 2 :- Quarterfinals :- Consolation Round 9-12 Place :- Semifinals :- Consolation Round 11-12 Place :Switzerland was relegated to Group B.- Match for third place :- Final :-World Championship Group B :... |
Latvia | WC-C Ice Hockey World Championships The Ice Hockey World Championships are an annual ice hockey tournament organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation . First officially held at the 1920 Summer Olympics, it is the sport's highest profile annual international tournament. The IIHF was created in 1908 while the European... |
7 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 0 |
| 1993 | Latvia | OQ | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| 1994 1994 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships The 1994 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships was the 17th edition of the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and was held in Ostrava and Frydek-Mistek, Czech Republic... |
Latvia | WJC-C | 4 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 33 |
| 1994 1994 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships - Group 2 :- Quarterfinals :- Consolation Round 11-12 Place :- Semifinals :- Match for third place :- Final :-World Championship Group B :... |
Latvia | WC-B | 7 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 0 |
| 1995 1995 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships The 1995 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships was played in Stockholm and Gavle Sweden, from April 23rd to May the 7th, 1995. In the tournament finals, Finland won the gold medal by winning over Sweden 4-1 at the Globen arena in Stockholm. The Finnish goals were scored by Timo Jutila and Ville... |
Latvia | WC-B | 7 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| 1997 1997 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships - Group 2 :- Second Round 1-6 Place :Teams that had played each other in the first round carried those results forward. First and second place played off for gold, third and fourth for bronze.- Consolation Round 7-12 Place :... |
Latvia | WC | 8 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| 1999 1999 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships -World Championship Group C:Played at Eindhoven and Tilburg, Netherlands April 5–11. Yugoslavia was supposed to particpate in this tournament, but was prevented by the host Dutch government.-Group 1:-Group 2:-Final Round 25-28 Place:... |
Latvia | WC | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| 2000 2000 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships -World Championship Group A :Final standings# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # — relegated to Division I for 2001# -World Championship Group B :... |
Latvia | WC | 7 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 2001 2001 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships -Championship:Final standings# # # # # # # # # # # # # # — relegated to Division I for 2002# — relegated to Division I for 2002# - Group A :Group A was played in Grenoble, France between April 16 and April 22, 2001... |
Latvia | WC | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 2002 Ice hockey at the 2002 Winter Olympics Ice hockey at the 2002 Winter Olympics were held at the E Center in West Valley City and Peaks Ice Arena in Provo, Utah. Both the men's and women's tournaments were won by Canada, defeating the host USA in both games.-Men:... |
Latvia | OG 2002 Winter Olympics The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event that was celebrated in February 2002 in and around Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. Approximately 2,400 athletes from 77 nations participated in 78 events in fifteen disciplines, held throughout... |
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2003 2003 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships -Relegation round: avoids relegation by defeating 4-1 in the 2004 IIHF World Championship Far East Qualification game. and are demoted to Division I at the 2004 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships.-Scoring leaders:-Goaltending leaders:-Group A:... |
Latvia | WC | 6 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 27 |
| 2005 | Latvia | OQ | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2005 2005 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships The 2005 Men's Ice Hockey Championships were held March 7 - May 15, 2005, in 7 cities in 6 countries: Vienna and Innsbruck, Austria ; Debrecen, Hungary ; Eindhoven, the Netherlands ; Zagreb, Croatia ; Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro ; Mexico City, Mexico... |
Latvia | WC | 6 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 2006 Ice hockey at the 2006 Winter Olympics -Leading scorers:-Leading goaltenders:Goalkeepers with 40% or more of their team's total minutes.-Awards:Antero Niittymäki was named the most valuable player and received the Directorate Award for best goaltender of the tournament. Directorate Awards also went to Teemu Selänne for best forward, and... |
Latvia | OG 2006 Winter Olympics The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. This marked the second time Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games, the first being the VII Olympic Winter... |
5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2009 2009 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships The 2009 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships was the 73rd such event hosted by the International Ice Hockey Federation. Teams representing 46 countries participated in four levels of competition. The competition also served as qualifications for the 2010 competition... |
Latvia | WC | 7 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 2010 Ice hockey at the 2010 Winter Olympics Ice hockey at the 2010 Winter Olympics was held at Canada Hockey Place, home of the National Hockey League's Vancouver Canucks, and at UBC Winter Sports Centre, home of the Canadian Interuniversity Sport's UBC Thunderbirds. Twelve teams competed in the men's event and eight teams competed in the... |
Latvia | OG 2010 Winter Olympics The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University... |
4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Junior Int'l totals | 4 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 33 | ||
| Senior Int'l totals | 84 | 18 | 24 | 42 | 49 | ||