Remembering Karlis Skrastins, a man who loved the game

 Melissa Grissom NHLHS Dallas Stars Correspondent On September 7, 2011, the Dallas Stars lost a friend and teammate when defenseman Karlis Skrastins died in a plane crash just outside Yaroslavl, Russia. He loved the game like everyone did, played through injuries and was the sweetest guy on and off the ice. He was underrated and had the heart of a warrior. I was happy to have met him the past two years and he was the sweetest guy you will ever met. He never skipped the line and waited his turn. He always chatted with fans and signed autographs. He was a family man off the ice, loving his wife and his two daughters. His love off the ice is what he brought to rink every day. I first met Karlis Skrastins at the last practice of the 2009-2010 season and he signed my Brenden Morrow jersey. He told me how to pronounced his last name before grinning at me. He just had a heart of gold and loved the game like I do. He had a great time at the practice arena and wanted to help a team win a cha...