Former teammates, friends, cope with loss

ST. LOUIS Tyson Nash hadnt played with Pavol Demitra in more than eight years, but a bond between the former St. Louis Blues wingmen remained strong. They met at a hotel in Vancouver in May. Nash was visiting the scenic Canadian city for a golf tournament, and Demitra was on vacation with his wife, Maja, and his two children, Lucas and Zara, before training for another season on the ice. The two men embraced in the lobby. Demitra talked about his family and how much he enjoyed his time with the Vancouver Canucks, an organization he played for from 2008 to 2010. Life had moved on, but a connection between the former teammates transcended time past. He seemed really, really happy, Nash said. Four months later, Nash and others are left to cope with losing a friend. Demitra, a Blues wingman from 1996 to 2004, was one of 44 people killed Wednesday when a Russian jet carrying members of a Kontinental Hockey League team crashed into a radar tower shortly after takeoff about 150 miles northeast of Moscow. Demitra and his teammates were scheduled to travel to Minsk, Belarus, for their seasons opening game. He was 36. Igor Korolev, a former center who played for the Blues from 1992 to 1994, also died in the incident. He was 41. To Nash, Demitra left behind a humble legacy. Demitra was a three-time NHL All-Star who played eight of his 16 seasons in the league with St. Louis. He had a career-high 37 goals during the 1998-99 season, and he was part of the team that won the Presidents Trophy during the 1999-2000 campaign. Three seasons later, he had a career-high 57 assists. Before joining the Blues, Demitra played three seasons with the Ottawa Senators after being selected in the ninth round of the 1993 NHL Entry Draft. He also spent a season with the Los Angeles Kings and two seasons each with the Minnesota Wild and the Canucks. He finished with 304 goals in 847 NHL games. He had a soft way about him, said Nash, who played for the Blues from 1998 to 2003. "For being a superstar, he was just a really mellow, quiet guy. Tony Twist has similar memories. Twist remembers Demitra carrying an infectious smile as a fan-favorite who never let fame change his approach to life. Parts of Demitras personality were seen from seats at the Scottrade Center. He was a versatile playmaker who had the touch to score. He had a career-high 93 points in the 2002-03 season. However, there were other parts of the stars personality that were best seen up-close. Twist remembers Demitra as personable during interviews and autograph sessions with fans. The two players also rode motorcycles together in their free time, moments when Demitra revealed a warm demeanor. Demitra embraced life away from the ice. It comes to a pretty abrupt end, said Twist, a former wingman who played for the Blues during the 1989-90 season and again from 1994 to 1999. You never know how its going to end. It could be a motorcycle accident. It could be a plane crash. Enjoy it while you can, because you never know whats going to happen at the end of the day. The Yakovlev Yak-42 passenger jet carrying Demitra crashed at about 4 p.m. local time. It failed to gain altitude after takeoff at an airport near Yaroslavl, a city in western Russia. One crew member reportedly survived with massive burns. Bernie Federko, a former Blues center who traveled with Demitra as a broadcaster on team charter flights, will miss the players drive. Federko remembers Demitra as a rising star during the Slovaks time in the Gateway City. To Federko, Demitra made his name in St. Louis as part of a dynamic line with former forward Keith Tkachuk. Although Demitra played elsewhere, the former Blues center considers Demitra to be St. Louis player. Federko struggled to explain why Demitras life was taken away. Youre on these planes all the time, Federko said. Youre going from place to place. Its not just hockey teams but all professional teams in America and all over the place. Its one of the fears all the time that something might not happen on the ice or on the field, but something could happen on a plane. Its such a tragedy. Its really hard to explain, especially when you know some of the people. Planes go down, and somebody always suffers because of it. Said Tkachuk in a statement: Pav was like a brother to me, and I cannot believe that he is no longer with us. This is a terrible day for the hockey fraternity. A somber day gave Nash a chance to look back on a life that touched his own. The meeting with Demitra at the hotel in Vancouver in May was a genuine moment. Memories were relived. The former teammates thought there would be another opportunity one day to share more. Nash searched for ways to describe his loss Wednesday. He was in shock. Sometimes, he said, words arent enough. I cant believe, Nash said, Pavol is not here anymore.