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19-year-old Russian player dies after being struck by puck
Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

19-year-old Russian hockey player dies after being struck by puck

Timur Faizutdinov, a 19-year-old Russian defenseman for Dynamo St. Petersburg's junior team, died after being struck in the head by a puck during this past Friday's game against Lokomotiv Yaroslavl,

"Timur Faizutdinov was injured on March 12 in Yaroslavl during a match against Lokomotiv," his club announced in a statement shared by Zahra Ullah and Anna Chernova of CNN. "The puck hit the head area, the player was hospitalized in serious condition. Doctors fought for his life for three days." 

As Joshua Rhett Miller explained for the New York Post, Faizutdinov's teammates honored him on the ice on Tuesday: 

Upcoming Kontinental Hockey League games will start with a moment of silence in Faizutdinov's memory.

"The Kontinental Hockey League is deeply saddened by the untimely passing of JHL Dynamo St. Petersburg player, Timur Fayzutdinov, after he sustained a head injury during a JHL fixture on 12th March," the KHL said in a brief statement. 

"We send our deepest condolences to his family and friends. Our thoughts are with them at this difficult time.

"The playoff games on 17th and 18th March will be held in memory of him and will begin with a minute of silence."

Zac Wassink

Zac Wassink is a longtime sports news writer and PFWA member who began his career in 2006 and has had his work featured on Yardbarker, MSN, Yahoo Sports and Bleacher Report. He is also a football and futbol aficionado who is probably yelling about Tottenham Hotspur at the moment and who chanted for Matt Harvey to start the ninth inning of Game 5 of the 2015 World Series at Citi Field. You can find him on X at @ZacWassink

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