Ruslan Salej

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BelarusBelarus  Ruslan Salej Ice hockey player
IIHF Hall of Fame , 2014
Ruslan Salej
Date of birth November 2nd 1974
place of birth Minsk , Belarusian SSR
date of death September 7, 2011
Place of death Tunoschna near Yaroslavl , Russia
size 185 cm
Weight 96 kg
position defender
number # 24
Shot hand Left
Draft
NHL Entry Draft 1996 , 1st round, 9th position
Mighty Ducks of Anaheim
Career stations
until 1995 Dinamo / Tiwali Minsk
1995-2006 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim
2004-2005 Ak Bars Kazan
2006-2008 Florida panthers
2008-2010 Colorado Avalanche
2010-2011 Detroit Red Wings

Ruslan Albertawitsch Salej ( Belarusian Руслан Альбертавіч Салей , Russian Руслан Альбертович Салей / Ruslan exhilarated Salei; * 2. November 1974 in Minsk , Byelorussian SSR , † 7. September 2011 in Tunoschna in Yaroslavl , Russia ) was a Belarusian ice hockey player , who during his playing Carreer played for the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim , Florida Panthers , Colorado Avalanche and Detroit Red Wings in the National Hockey League on the position of defender .

Career

Ruslan Salej was more interested in a career as a football player before he discovered his predilection for ice hockey at the age of seven . He learned the basics of ice hockey at his home club Junost Minsk , for whose team Salej was active as a junior player. The Belarusian began his professional career at Dinamo Minsk , for whom he made his debut in the international hockey league in the 1992/93 season and with this he also took part in the Belarusian extra league. In 1993, 1994 and 1995 Salej won the Belarusian championship three times in a row with the team that was now trading under the name Tiwali Minski . He was also elected to the All-Star Team of the Belarusian Extraliga in 1994 and 1995 .

Ruslan Salej in the Detroit Red Wings jersey

During this time he was used by the scouts of the Las Vegas Thunder of the International Hockey League scout who described the left-handed shooters as powerful defensive player. Without ever having seen Salej play, General Manager Bob Strumm decided to present the Belarusian with a contract offer. When he arrived in Las Vegas , Salej experienced a culture shock because he didn't speak a word of English and was exposed to climatic conditions that were unfamiliar to him. In Las Vegas he played together with longtime NHL goalkeeper Curtis Joseph . After a good rookie season in which Salej with a value of plus 42 in the plus / minus statistic during the regular season convinced, during which he and the Thunder the semi-finals to the Turner Cup had reached, he became the NHL Entry Draft in 1996 in selected by the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in the first round in ninth position overall. In his first season in the NHL, he completed 30 games and scored an assist . He also spent the rest of the season with the Baltimore Bandits in the American Hockey League and also played eleven games for the Las Vegas Thunder on the ice. During the 1997/98 season he made his breakthrough in the NHL, when the defender was on the ice in 66 games for the Californians.

In October 1999 he was suspended for ten games by the Dallas Stars after a check from behind in the gang on Mike Modano . In addition, he had to pay a fine of around $ 110,000. In the 2002/03 season he reached the Stanley Cup final with the Mighty Ducks , but had to admit defeat to the New Jersey Devils after seven games . In the NHL season 2004/05 canceled due to the lockout Salej was active for Ak Bars Kazan in the Russian Super League .

His contract in Anaheim expired at the end of the 2005/06 season and was not renewed. On July 2, 2006, he signed a contract with the Florida Panthers as a free agent . The contract term was four years, which should bring him an income of around 3 million US dollars per year. Salej was the defender with the most appearances for the Mighty Ducks until then, with a total of 594 games in the regular season. In his first year in Florida, he set his record of 32 points in 82 games.

On February 26, 2008, he was transferred to Denver for the Colorado Avalanche . In return, the Panthers received Kārlis Skrastiņš and a third-round vote in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft . His contract with the Avalanche expired at the end of the 2009/10 season , in which he could only play 14 games due to a back injury, and was not renewed. On August 9, 2010, the defender signed a one-year contract with the Detroit Red Wings . In July 2011 Salej received a one-year contract with Lokomotive Yaroslavl from the Continental Hockey League .

Salej's long-time team-mate Teemu Selänne praised the defender for his easy-going, pleasant manner and described the Belarusian as one of his favorite players. Furthermore, he was considered an actor with all-round skills, especially his high endurance was highlighted. Salej, however, was criticized for his occasional indiscipline on the ice.

Salej died on September 7, 2011 in a plane crash near Yaroslavl . The entire ice hockey team from Lokomotive Yaroslavl was in the Yakovlev Yak-42 aircraft .

Achievements and Awards

International

Career statistics

Ruslan Salej (middle, dark jersey) and Tomáš Vokoun try to prevent Georges Laraque (white jersey) from shooting.
Regular season Play-offs
season team league Sp T V Pt SM Sp T V Pt SM
1992-93 Dinamo Minsk MHL 9 1 0 1 10 - - - - -
1993-94 Tiwali Minsk MHL 39 2 3 5 50 - - - - -
1994-95 Tiwali Minsk MHL 51 4th 2 6th 44 - - - - -
1995-96 Las Vegas Thunder IHL 76 7th 23 30th 123 15th 3 7th 10 18th
1996-97 Las Vegas Thunder IHL 8th 0 2 2 24 3 2 1 3 6th
1996-97 Baltimore Bandits AHL 12 1 4th 5 12 - - - - -
1996-97 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim NHL 30th 0 1 1 37 - - - - -
1997-98 Cincinnati Mighty Ducks AHL 6th 3 6th 9 14th - - - - -
1997-98 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim NHL 66 5 10 15th 70 - - - - -
1998-99 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim NHL 74 2 14th 16 65 3 0 0 0 4th
1999-00 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim NHL 71 5 5 10 94 - - - - -
2000-01 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim NHL 50 1 5 6th 70 - - - - -
2001-02 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim NHL 82 4th 7th 11 97 - - - - -
2002-03 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim NHL 61 4th 8th 12 78 21st 2 3 5 26th
2003-04 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim NHL 82 4th 11 15th 110 - - - - -
2004-05 Ak Bars Kazan Super league 35 8th 11 19th 36 3 0 0 0 2
2005-06 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim NHL 78 1 18th 19th 114 16 3 2 5 18th
2006-07 Florida panthers NHL 82 6th 26th 32 102 - - - - -
2007-08 Florida panthers NHL 65 3 20th 23 75 - - - - -
2007-08 Colorado Avalanche NHL 17th 3 4th 7th 23 10 1 4th 5 4th
2008-09 Colorado Avalanche NHL 70 4th 17th 21st 72 - - - - -
2009-10 Colorado Avalanche NHL 14th 1 5 6th 10 1 0 0 0 0
2010-11 Detroit Red Wings NHL 75 2 8th 10 48 11 1 0 1 0
MHL total 99 7th 5 12 104 - - - - -
Super league overall 35 8th 11 19th 36 3 0 0 0 2
IHL total 84 7th 25th 32 147 18th 5 8th 13 24
AHL total 18th 4th 10 14th 26th - - - - -
NHL overall 917 45 159 204 1065 62 7th 9 16 52

International

Represented Belarus at:

year team event Sp T V Pt SM
1994 Belarus C1-WM 6th 1 2 3 10
1995 Belarus C1-WM 4th 0 1 1 4th
1998 Belarus Olympia 7th 1 0 1 4th
1998 Belarus WM 2 1 0 1 8th
2000 Belarus WM 6th 0 1 1 6th
2001 Belarus WM 6th 0 1 1 31
2002 Belarus Olympia 6th 2 1 3 4th
2004 Belarus WM Div. I. 5 3 4th 7th 2
2008 Belarus WM 5 0 2 2 6th
2009 Belarus WM 6th 2 3 5 6th
2010 Belarus Olympia 4th 1 0 1 0
2010 Belarus WM 6th 1 1 2 8th
Men overall 63 12 16 28 89

( Legend for player statistics: Sp or GP = games played; T or G = goals scored; V or A = assists scored ; Pkt or Pts = scorer points scored ; SM or PIM = penalty minutes received ; +/− = plus / minus balance; PP = overpaid goals scored ; SH = underpaid goals scored ; GW = winning goals scored; 1  play-downs / relegation )

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. List of Lokomotive Yaroslavl ice hockey players who died in the plane crash on izvestia.ru. Accessed on September 7, 2011
  2. ^ A b c d e Adrian Dater: Avs' Salei gets American initiation in Sin City. Denver Post, February 10, 2009, accessed June 20, 2011 .
  3. 'A dangerous act'. Sports Illustrated October 7, 1999, archived from the original June 22, 2011 ; accessed on June 20, 2011 (English).
  4. ^ Salei Signs 4-year Deal. In: articles.sun-sentinel.com. July 3, 2006, accessed June 19, 2018 .
  5. Avalanche acquire Ruslan Salei. CBC Sports, February 26, 2008, accessed June 20, 2011 .
  6. Wings sign defenseman Salei for 1-year. Detroit Red Wings, August 9, 2010, accessed June 20, 2011 .
  7. Player Bio - Ruslan Salei. The Hockey News , accessed June 20, 2011 .