I was absolutely devastated this morning to hear the news about the tragic plane crash that took the lives of KHL team Lokomotiv. Almost everyone in the hockey world has some connection to this tragedy. In my case, it is Pavol Demitra and the brief time he spent as a Vancouver Canuck. It seems appropriate at this time to share one of my favourite moments from Demitra’s time in Vancouver, though it was not in a Canucks uniform.
Demitra returned from injury during the 2009-10 season just in time to participate in the 2010 Winter Olympics. The veteran forward was phenomenal during the tournament, leading all players in points and was the only non-North American player named to the tournament all-star team. But he came just short of leading his team to the gold medal game, thanks to a glorious glove save by Canucks teammate Roberto Luongo.
Now it may seem odd to remember a moment when Demitra did not score as a favourite, but that’s not actually the moment I’m referring to. My favourite Pavol Demitra moment came after the game was over as the two teams lined up to shake hands. Demitra and Luongo met in the middle of the ice and embraced each other, smiling and sharing what seemed like a genuinely joyful moment. The save and exchange ended up as the #2 moment on TSN’s Top Ten Hockey Plays of the 2010 Olympics.
That’s the Pavol Demitra I remember. Happy. Full of joy. Always ready to smile. My thoughts and prayers go out to his wife, children, and extended family, as well all the families affected by this tragedy.
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Rachael
September 7, 2011I was remembering this moment too. Love it.
peanutflower
September 7, 2011same here. It was great. I played that over and over. In fact, I have the DVDs so I’m going to go and play it some more.
peanutflower
September 7, 2011Pravda calls him the Slovakian Wayne Gretzky.
Daniel Wagner
September 7, 2011It’s like how Alex Burrows was the Wayne Gretzky of ball hockey. Slovakia loved Demitra, and rightly so.
Noodle
September 7, 2011Great choice. So sad about what happened to Lokomotiv, and to Pavol in particular.
Mimi from Slovakia
September 8, 2011This is a terrible tragedy. Pavol Demitra was the true icon. People in Slovakia are mourning so much it is hard to find the words. He will always remain in our hearts.
Peter..... Slovakia
September 8, 2011peanutflower
September 9, 2011Well, that’s pretty tear jerking. It’s all just too sad.