Vitali Anikeyenko, Ukrainian, died from a plane crash he was 24.

Vitaly Serhiiovych Anikeyenko was a Ukrainian-Russian professional ice hockey player died from a plane crash he was 24.. Born in Kiev, Anikeyenko spent the entirety of his professional hockey career with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl of the Kontinental Hockey League, save for the a loan spell with Metallurg Novokuznetsk during 2007–08. He was a member of the Russian national team that competed in the IIHF World Championship's under 18 and under 20 levels; winning a silver medal for the country in 2007. Anikeyenko was drafted 70th overall in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft by the Ottawa Senators. He died along with most of the Lokomotiv team in a plane crash on the first day of the 2011–12 season.

(January 2, 1987 – September 7, 2011) 

Death

Main article: 2011 Lokomotiv Yaroslavl air disaster

On September 7, 2011, Anikeyenko was killed in a plane crash when a Yakovlev Yak-42 passenger aircraft, carrying nearly his entire Lokomotiv Yaroslavl team, crashed at Tunoshna Airport, just outside the city of Yaroslavl, Russia. The team was traveling to Minsk to play their opening game of the season, with its coaching staff and prospects. Lokomotiv officials confirmed that the entire main roster was on the flight, including four players from the junior team.^[2][3][4] The bodies of Ukrainian teammates Anikeyenko and Daniil Sobchenko were repatriated following the crash for burial in Ukraine.^[5] The funeral was held on September 10 at Sovskom cemetery in Kiev.^[6]

Career statistics

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2005–06	Lokomotiv Yaroslavl	RSL		26	0	1	1	28		1	0	0	0	0
2006–07	Lokomotiv Yaroslavl	RSL		25	1	2	3	16		3	0	0	0	12
2007–08	Metallurg Novokuznezk	RSL		10	1	1	2	10		—	—	—	—	—
2007–08	Lokomotiv Yaroslavl	RSL		40	4	9	13	48		16	0	0	0	20
2008–09	Lokomotiv Yaroslavl	KHL		40	2	9	11	44		19	0	2	2	10
2009–10	Lokomotiv Yaroslavl	KHL		52	7	11	18	50		9	1	0	1	8
2010–11	Lokomotiv Yaroslavl	KHL		52	5	14	19	79		3	0	2	2	4
RSL totals				101	6	13	19	102		20	0	0	0	32

International statistics

Year	Team	Event	Place		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2003	Russia	WJC18			6	0	0	0	4
2005	Russia	WJC18	5th		6	1	1	2	12
2007	Russia	WJC			6	0	1	1	10
Junior Int'l Totals					18	1	2	3	26

To see more of who died in 2011 click here