Kārlis Skrastiņš facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kārlis Skrastiņš |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
Skrastiņš in 2006
|
|||
| Born | July 9, 1974 Riga, Latvian SSR, Soviet Union |
||
| Died | September 7, 2011 (aged 37) Yaroslavl, Russia |
||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) | ||
| Weight | 210 lb (95 kg; 15 st 0 lb) | ||
| Position | Defence | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for | Pārdaugava Rīga TPS Nashville Predators Colorado Avalanche Florida Panthers HK Rīga 2000 Dallas Stars |
||
| National team |  Latvia |
||
| NHL Draft | 230th overall, 1998 Nashville Predators |
||
| Playing career | 1991–2011 | ||
Kārlis Skrastiņš (born July 9, 1974 – died September 7, 2011) was a professional ice hockey player from Latvia. He was a strong defenceman who played for many years in the National Hockey League (NHL), one of the top hockey leagues in the world.
Kārlis was chosen by the Nashville Predators in the 1998 NHL Draft. He then played for the Predators, the Colorado Avalanche, the Florida Panthers, and the Dallas Stars. He was known for being very tough and rarely missing a game.
In 2011, Kārlis decided to play in Russia for a team called Lokomotiv Yaroslavl in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). Sadly, he never got to play a game for them. He was one of many players and staff who died in a terrible plane crash on September 7, 2011.
Contents
Kārlis Skrastiņš's Hockey Journey
Starting in the NHL
Kārlis Skrastiņš was chosen by the Nashville Predators with the 230th pick in the 1998 NHL Draft. He joined the team and quickly became a reliable player. On October 15, 2002, he even scored a special goal while his team was playing with fewer players on the ice.
He played for Nashville for five seasons. Then, in 2003, he was traded to the Colorado Avalanche.
The "Ironman" Streak
Kārlis became famous for his amazing "Ironman" streak. On February 8, 2007, he played in his 487th game in a row. This broke the record for the longest playing streak for a defenceman in NHL history! He passed a legendary player named Tim Horton.
Kārlis's streak eventually ended at 495 games. He missed a game on February 25, 2007, because of a knee injury. Before this, he had only missed one other game in his entire career due to an injury. This incredible streak earned him the nickname "Ironman."
Moving to Other Teams
During his fourth season with the Avalanche, in 2008, Kārlis was traded to the Florida Panthers. In his first full season with the Panthers (2008–09), he had his best year for scoring points, getting 18 points in 80 games.
On October 16, 2008, he played his 600th NHL game. A few weeks later, on November 1, 2008, he scored his 100th point in the NHL. It was fitting that he scored it against his first team, the Nashville Predators.
On July 2, 2009, Kārlis signed a two-year contract with the Dallas Stars. He scored two goals for the Stars in the 2009–10 season, including the winning goal in a game against the Detroit Red Wings.
After playing for eleven seasons in the NHL, Kārlis decided to try something new. On May 17, 2011, he signed a contract to play for a Russian team, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl.
A Tragic End
Kārlis Skrastiņš died on September 7, 2011. He was on a Yakovlev Yak-42 passenger plane carrying almost the entire Lokomotiv Yaroslavl team. The plane crashed just outside Yaroslavl, Russia.
The team was traveling to Minsk to play their first game of the new season. Sadly, almost everyone from the main team, along with their coaches and some younger players, was on the plane. It was a very sad day for the hockey world.
See also
- List of ice hockey players who died during their playing career
