Igor Borisovich Korolev (Russian: Игорь Борисович Королёв; September 6, 1970 – September 7, 2011) was a Russian-Canadian professional ice hockey player and coach. Korolev played over 700 games in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1992 until 2004. Korolev returned to Russia, and played a further seven seasons in the Russian Super League (RSL) and the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) before retiring from active play in 2010. In 2011, Korolev accepted an assistant coach position with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl of the KHL. Korolev was killed in the 2011 Lokomotiv Yaroslavl plane crash[1] along with nearly the entire roster of Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. A native of the Russian Republic of the Soviet Union, Korolev became a naturalized Canadian citizen in 2000.[2][3]

Igor Korolev
Born (1970-09-06)September 6, 1970
Zelenograd, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Died September 7, 2011(2011-09-07) (aged 41)
Yaroslavl, Russia
Height 6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight 198 lb (90 kg; 14 st 2 lb)
Position Centre
Shot Left
Played for HC Dynamo Moscow
St. Louis Blues
Winnipeg Jets
Phoenix Coyotes
Toronto Maple Leafs
Chicago Blackhawks
Metallurg Magnitogorsk
Atlant Moscow Oblast
Lokomotiv Yaroslavl
National team  Soviet Union and
 Russia
NHL draft 38th overall, 1992
St. Louis Blues
Playing career 1988–2010

Playing career

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Korolev began his professional playing career with HC Dynamo Moscow in the 1988–89 season appearing once. The following season, Korolev became a full member of the team, playing 17 games. He played two further full seasons with Dynamo. In all three seasons, Dynamo won the league championship. Korolev was drafted by the St. Louis Blues in the second round, 38th overall in the 1992 NHL Entry Draft. After five games with Dynamo in the 1992–93 season, Korolev left to join the Blues. Korolev played for the Blues for two seasons. Korolev was unsigned in the 1994–95 season and he returned to Dynamo. He was picked up by the Winnipeg Jets in the waiver draft in January 1995 and stayed with the team as it moved to Phoenix. He signed as a free agent with Toronto in 1997. He was traded to Chicago in 2001 where he played until 2004. He then returned to Russia and signed with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. After one season, he transferred to Metallurg Magnitogorsk, where he played three seasons. He played one season with Atlant Moscow Oblast and one final season with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl where he retired after the 2009–10 season. He became an assistant coach with the team and was still an assistant at the time of his death.

Death

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Grave of Igor Korolev in Mount Pleasant cemetery, Toronto, decorated with flowers and memorabilia

Korolev died on September 7, 2011, the day after he turned 41, when a Yakovlev Yak-42 passenger aircraft crashed just outside Yaroslavl, Russia while transporting Lokomotiv to Minsk to play their opening game of the season. Lokomotiv officials said "everyone from the main roster was on the plane plus four players from the youth team."[4][5][6] All aboard were killed, aside from one crew member.

Personal

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Igor and Vera Korolev married in June 1990.[2] Igor and Vera have two daughters, Kristina and Anastasia. Korolev's family has a permanent home in the North York district of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Korolevs obtained Canadian citizenship in 2000.[2] Korolev was buried in Toronto[3] at Mount Pleasant Cemetery[7] after a funeral on September 18, 2011.[8] Korolev was the godfather of fellow NHL player Nik Antropov's son. Korolev and Antropov both played the 2000–01 season with the Toronto Maple Leafs.[9]

Honors

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Career statistics

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Regular season and playoffs

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    Regular season   Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1988–89 MCOP Moscow URS.3 14 3 4 7 16
1988–89 Dynamo Moscow URS 1 0 0 0 2
1989–90 Dynamo Moscow URS 17 3 2 5 2
1989–90 Dynamo–2 Moscow URS.3 12 1 3 4 25
1990–91 Dynamo Moscow URS 38 12 4 16 12
1990–91 Dynamo–2 Moscow URS.3 3 2 3 5 4
1991–92 Dynamo Moscow CIS 33 12 8 20 10 7 2 5 7 6
1991–92 Dynamo–2 Moscow CIS.3 4 6 4 10 0
1992–93 Dynamo Moscow RUS 5 1 2 3 4
1992–93 St. Louis Blues NHL 74 4 23 27 20 3 0 0 0 0
1993–94 St. Louis Blues NHL 73 6 10 16 40 2 0 0 0 0
1994–95 Dynamo Moscow RUS 13 4 6 10 18
1994–95 Winnipeg Jets NHL 45 8 22 30 10
1995–96 Winnipeg Jets NHL 73 22 29 51 42 6 0 3 3 0
1996–97 Phoenix Coyotes NHL 41 3 7 10 28 1 0 0 0 0
1996–97 Michigan K–Wings IHL 4 2 2 4 0
1996–97 Phoenix Roadrunners IHL 4 2 6 8 4
1997–98 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 78 17 22 39 22
1998–99 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 66 13 34 47 46 1 0 0 0 0
1999–2000 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 80 20 26 46 22 12 0 4 4 6
2000–01 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 73 10 19 29 28 11 0 0 0 0
2001–02 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 82 9 20 29 20 5 0 1 1 0
2002–03 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 48 4 5 9 30
2002–03 Norfolk Admirals AHL 14 4 3 7 0 9 2 4 6 4
2003–04 Norfolk Admirals AHL 10 1 4 5 4
2003–04 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 62 3 10 13 22
2004–05 Lokomotiv Yaroslavl RSL 60 8 20 28 26 9 1 6 7 2
2005–06 Metallurg Magnitogorsk RSL 51 7 17 24 26 11 0 1 1 4
2006–07 Metallurg Magnitogorsk RSL 54 2 14 16 28 15 4 3 7 8
2007–08 Metallurg Magnitogorsk RSL 57 6 20 26 58 13 5 5 10 10
2008–09 Atlant Mytishchi KHL 56 7 15 22 46 7 0 1 1 10
2009–10 Lokomotiv Yaroslavl KHL 48 5 15 20 28 15 0 3 3 4
URS/CIS totals 89 27 14 41 26 7 2 5 7 6
NHL totals 795 119 227 346 330 41 0 8 8 6
RSL totals 222 23 68 91 140 48 10 15 25 24

International

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Year Team Event Result   GP G A Pts PIM
1988 Soviet Union EJC   6 3 2 5 2
1991 Soviet Union CC 5th 5 0 0 0 0
1992 Russia WC 5th 6 2 1 3 2
Senior totals 11 2 1 3 2

References

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  1. ^ "List of those killed in plane crash near Yaroslavl" (in Russian). sovsport.ru. 2011-09-07. Retrieved 2011-09-07.
  2. ^ a b c Feschuk, Dave (September 8, 2011). "Ex-Leaf Korolev was devoted to family". Toronto Star. Retrieved September 11, 2011.
  3. ^ a b Mirtle, James (September 8, 2011). "Igor Korolev remembered as a proud Canadian". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved September 9, 2011.
  4. ^ "First pictures from the crash of Yak-42 near Yaroslavl" (in Russian). Lifenews.ru. 2011-09-07. Retrieved 2011-09-07.
  5. ^ "The list of Lokomotiv players who died" (in Russian). Lifenews.ru. 2011-09-07. Retrieved 2011-09-07.
  6. ^ "Pavol Demitra among 43 killed in Russian plane crash". theglobeandmail.com. 2011-09-07. Retrieved 2011-09-07.[permanent dead link]
  7. ^ "Igor Korolev's funeral will be held in Toronto on Sunday". City TV. September 16, 2011. Archived from the original on October 26, 2011. Retrieved September 16, 2011.
  8. ^ Shoalts, Dave (September 19, 2011). "Igor Korolev remembered as a quiet leader". Globe and Mail. Retrieved September 19, 2011.
  9. ^ "Jets' Antropov mourns loss of friend in Russian plane crash". Winnipeg Free Press. September 9, 2011. Retrieved September 14, 2011.
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