Sad day in hockey

rapids hockey · Post by **rapids hockey** » Thu Nov 04, 2004 8:56 am

Former Minnesota Wild forward Sergei Zholtok passed away at the age of 31 of heart problems during a game in Latvia. I thoroughly enjoyed watching him at the Xcel and will never forget how hard he worked. portion of the nhl.com article: The apparent cause of death was a heart attack. Zholtok had suffered from cardiac arrhythmia in the past. Zholtok became ill near the end of Wednesday's game and collapsed on his way to the dressing room. According to a report in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, paramedics attempted to revive Zholtok, but were unsuccessful. According to the Star-Tribune, Neil Sheehy, a player agent and former NHL player, said Zholtok died in the arms of his former Minnesota Wild teammate Darby Hendrickson, who also was playing for Riga during the current work stoppage. Sheehy said Hendrickson left then bench to accompany Zholtok to the dressing room. "He told Darby, 'Don't leave.'" Sheehy told the Star-Tribune's Chris Snow. Sheehy told Snow he spoke with Hendrickson, who said: "I have a deep faith. I was meant to be here." Teams and players across the NHL were shocked and saddened by Zholtok's death. "We are all saddened and shocked to hear of Sergei's sudden passing," Nashville General Manager David Poile said. "He was a hard-working player who was well-liked by his teammates and coaches. We extend our deepest sympathies to the Zholtok family, his wife, Anna, and his sons, Edgar and Nikita." "I'm sick to my stomach," the Wild's Andrew Brunette told the Star-Tribune. "He's a great family guy, very loving. If you ever had time to see him with his kids, he was just a great person, a fantastic person who didn't need to leave us all this early. We don't need to lose people like him." Zholtok leaves behind a wife and two sons, Edgar, a teenager, and Nikita, a toddler. They were with his wife Anna in Latvia at the time of Zholtok's death. "We are deeply saddened to have lost a member of the Wild family," Wild Chairman Bob Naegele, Jr., said. "Our thoughts and prayers are with Sergei Zholtok's family during this tragic time of loss."