Cherepanov Death a Crossroads for the KHL

Earlier this year when I talked to KHL President Alexander Medvedev, he told me that one of the goals of the nascent KHL, then still planning for its first season, was to improve the condition of Russian hockey, reinvigorate the development of native hockey talent and perhaps one day grow into a league that could rival the NHL.

In other words, the KHL was established, in part, to get young Russian hockey talents like the late Alexei Cherepanov, who died of a heart attack after collapsing on the bench during a KHL game earlier this week, to stay home in Russia for a few more years before heading to North America for a shot to play in the NHL. Below is footage taken of team officials trying desperately to revive Cherepanov after he collapsed and eventually hauling him off the bench (WARNING: This clip is rather disturbing, so proceed with caution):
As the ambulance on call had already left the arena, the team couldn't even put the kid on a stretcher. Other reports indicate that when the ambulance did arrive, that the defibrillator it carried that might have saved Cherepanov's life wouldn't work because its batteries were dead.

And now, the KHL has learned the hard way that running a big-time sports league means more than ponying up the big dollars for superstar contracts. It also means investing in the sort of medical infrastructure that can help keep the league's most valuable assets -- the players -- alive in the case of an emergency. As ESPN.com's Pierre LeBrun reported:

In the NHL, each team undergoes an annual audit to ensure it is in compliance with a range of emergency medical procedures that must be in place in every building, deputy commissioner Bill Daly told ESPN.com Monday.

Among the requirements are that medical staff on hand must be certified in advanced trauma life support. There is also a requirement for ambulance service on-site.

The ability of teams to respond to medical emergencies was brought into sharp focus in November 2005 when Detroit Red Wings defenseman Jiri Fischer went into cardiac arrest on the bench in Detroit. "I was sitting in the stands that night when it happened," [Igor] Larionov, a former Red Wing who retired during the lockout, told ESPN.com Tuesday. "I will never forget it. And I warned the KHL about things like this."

Larionov, who helped start the KHL with the help of the Russian Hockey Federation and a bevy of Russian corporations, will fly to Russia on Thursday to join an emergency league board meeting to address Cherepanov's death.

So what does Cherepanov's death mean for the KHL? It's probably too early to say. And while I'm certain that the league will probably at least make a number of changes to improve player safety, something tells me that the lure of tax-free millions will continue to inspire young players like Cherepanov to stay home -- whatever the risk might be.

(Video via Puck Daddy)

This post originally appeared on the Sporting Blog. For more, see The Sporting Blog Archives.