It's Getting Worse in Omsk

Last I checked, the Soviet Union and it's backwards, defiant and bizarre ways all collapsed in 1991.

Guess not.

A few weeks ago, I brought you analysis on the tragic death of New York Rangers prospect Alexei Cherapanov. The 19-year-old died during a game while playing for Avangard Omsk in the KHL.

There was a lot of criticism from around the world targeted toward the league and Russian authorities for their underwhelming response to the medical emergency, where Cherapanov collapsed and stopped breathing during the 3rd period of a game.

Now, instead of accepting responsibility and trying to find a solution to the problem, Russian authorities are dodging blame. A spokesman for the Russian army says that Alexei was illegally playing for Omsk.

Riiiiiight.

According to Col. Vladimir Karpenko (no relation), Cherapanov should have been serving his mandatory military service rather than playing pro hockey.

"It's been a common practice for the sport club Avangard for many years to send its young boys to serve in the Railway Troops. Naturally, they never stayed in the barracks, they were always training at the sport facilities to get ready for competitions."

Sounds a lot like the special treatment that players for the USSR got during the old days under the Hammer and Sickle flag.

What I'm thinking, though, is wouldn't Cherapanov have suffered from chronic ischemia while serving for the Railway Troops anyway? And isn't it a possibility that any sort of physical activity, such as...I don't know...playing hockey...would have triggered his condition?

None of this makes any sense.