Griffins honor alumni in plane crash

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - The Grand Rapids Griffins will honor three alumni who were killed in a plane crash last month.

Pavol Demitra, Karel Rachunek and Stefan Liv were members of the Kontinental Hockey League's Lokomotiv Yaroslavl hockey team. They were traveling to Belarus for a game when the Yak-42 plane crashed in Russia immediately after leaving the airport on Sept. 7. The plane did not reach a high enough altitude and hit a beacon tower mast.

All players from the main roster and four from the youth team were among the 37 passengers and eight crew members aboard the aircraft. Ruslan Salei, a former Detroit Red Wing, and Lokomotiv coach Brad McCrimmon, who once played and was an assistant coach for Detroit, also died in the crash. There were two survivors; one died five days later.

The current Griffins will wear a special helmet sticker for all 76 games this season, and a patch on their jerseys during all 38 home games, honoring Demitra, Liv and Rachunek.

Demitra starred during the Griffins' inaugural 1996-97 season before becoming the first Griffin to advance to the NHL. Liv won 15 games as a goalie for Grand Rapids in 2006-07. Rachunek was a member of the 1999-00 squad that reached the IHL Turner Cup Finals.

The sticker and patch display the words "Griffins Forever" above the jersey numbers worn by the players during their time in Grand Rapids. Demitra's #38 is shown in blue, Rachunek's #29 is depicted in gold to represent his one-time status as an Ottawa Senators prospect, and Liv's #1 is red to reflect his tenure during the Griffins' affiliation with the Detroit Red Wings.

The Griffins begin the 2011-12 season Saturday in Rockford, Ill.

At the Griffins' home opener on Oct. 14 at Van Andel Arena, a moment of silence will be held in the three players' memory immediately prior to the national anthem. Fans can read a tribute article in the first issue of Griffiti, the team's official magazine. In addition, a column on the arena concourse that honors Demitra as one of Grand Rapids' most distinguished NHL alumni, will be adorned with a black ribbon for the duration of the 2011-12 season.

"The tragic loss of these players and their teammates has had a profound effect on our fans and everyone in our organization who had the pleasure of knowing and working with them," Tim Gortsema, Griffins' senior vice president of business operations, said in a news release. "It's a privilege for us to honor their memory and to do whatever we can to assist in supporting their loved ones."

Kortney Paek, the wife of Griffins assistant coach Jim Paek, has led the wives and girlfriends of Griffins players and coaches in joining a hockey-wide effort to raise money for a foundation that is helping support the families of those who were lost in the tragedy.

"Love for Lokomotiv" silicone memory bracelets will be sold for $10 each at a table on the Van Andel Arena concourse during the home opener and select home games, as well as through loveforlokomotiv.com, with 100% of the proceeds benefiting the established foundation. The website also offers prayer bracelets comprised of semiprecious jade beads -- symbolizing healing, hope, love and generosity -- in both adult ($50) and child ($25) sizes.