A plane crash in northwest Russia has sent a chill through the hockey world, as word spreads that several international hockey stars and former NHL players are among the 43 dead.

According to the International Hockey Federation, 27 players on the elite Russian hockey team Lokomotiv Yaroslavl died Wednesday when their plane fell from the sky moments after takeoff.

The long list of former NHL players who lost their lives included the team's coach, Saskatchewan native and NHL veteran Brad McCrimmon, Igor Korolev, the team's assistant coach and a former Toronto Maple Leaf, and former Vancouver Canuck Pavol Demitra.

In Detroit, where McCrimmon had worked as the Red Wings' assistant coach until May, defenceman Nick Lidstrom told reporters his team was feeling "pretty down" after learning of the crash.

Former NHL player Geoff Courtnall remembered playing alongside Demitra on the St. Louis Blues, describing him as "a really great, happy go lucky kid who had amazing skill."

Other ex-NHL players killed in the crash include:

  • Ruslan Salei, who played for the Anaheim Mighty Ducks, Florida Panthers, Colorado Avalanche, and Detroit Red Wings.
  • Josef Vasicek, a Czech forward who spent the bulk of his career with the Carolina Hurricanes.
  • Karel Rachunek, who played for the Ottawa Senators, New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils.
  • Karlis Skrastins, a defenceman from Latvia who played mainly for the Nashville Predators and Colorado Avalanche.
  • Alexander Vasyunov, a Russian forward who spent 18 games with the New Jersey Devils last season.

The Kontinental Hockey League, of which Lokomotiv Yaroslavl is one of the top-ranked teams, officially started its 2011/12 season on Wednesday. But the opening game between Salavat Yulaev and Atlant was called off midway after officials learned of the crash. Russian television broadcasts showed grief-stricken fans pouring out of the stadium in the Russian city of Ufa.

As news spread around the world, players, fans and sports officials were similarly shaken by what is now the deadliest single accident to ever strike a professional hockey team.

In the Czech Republic, which was home to three of the star players killed in the crash, the president of the national ice hockey association paid tribute.

"Jan Marek, Karel Rachunek, and Josef Vasicek contributed greatly to the best successes of our ice hockey in the recent years, first of all to the golden medals at the world championships in 2005 and 2010," Kral said. "They were excellent players, but also great friends and personalities. That's how we will remember them."

Fans planned to gather on Thursday in the Czech capital's Old Town Square for a memorial tribute to the three.

Meanwhile, across the border in Slovakia, hundreds of fans congregated Wednesday night outside the ice hockey stadium in the town of Trencin, where Demitra began his career. Many lit candles to honour his memory.

In a statement from the corporate home of the NHL in New York City, league commissioner Gary Bettman said that while the crash occurred thousands of kilometres away, it "represents a catastrophic loss to the hockey world -- including the NHL family, which lost so many fathers, sons, teammates and friends who at one time excelled in our league."

International Ice Hockey Federation president Rene Fasel called the crash "a terrible tragedy for the global ice hockey community with so many nationalities involved."

He added that despite "the substantial air travel of professional hockey teams, our sport has been spared from tragic traffic accidents. But only until now."

NHL Players' Association Executive Director Don Fehr expressed his condolences to the family and friends of the victims, saying that he could not find the words to "express the profound sorrow that this loss has created."

Several NHL players also expressed grief at the loss of life. On Twitter, Russian star Alex Ovechkin wrote, "I'm in shock!!!!!R.I.P ..."

Others who had played in the same league as Lokomotiv Yaroslavl spoke of safety concerns related to flying in former Soviet countries.

Ex-NHL defenceman Bryan Muir played 23 games for Dynamo Minsk during the 2008-09 season. On one trip with the team he said he flew on a TU-134A plane that had been built in 1962.

"We were kind of sitting there going `Holy smokes' because you're used to North America and the standards and everything that goes along with it," Muir told The Associated Press. "I looked at the doorway and there's this big crack with the aluminum riveted over the top of it.

"I'm just sitting there saying to myself `Oh my god' -- just saying a prayer when I walked on the plane every time."

The cause of Wednesday's crash remains unclear. However, early reports from Russian media suggested that technical problems could have played a role.

With files from The Associated Press