On September 7, it has been 14 years since the tragic death of the legendary Slovak hockey player Pavel Demitra († 36). For his good friend and Former boss Dukla Trenčín Viliam Ružička.
In 2010, Demitra received the offer of the KHL Lokomotiv Jaroslavl club. Already in his first season he achieved 61 points for 18 goals and 43 assists in the regular season. He scored 6 goals in 18 duels and assisted at 15. Thanks to him, the team got to the semifinals. After the season he considered the end of his career, but eventually signed the contract for the next year 2011/2012, in which he did not play for the tragic accident …
Was 7. September 2011 when Almost immediately after the start, the plane crashed on board the entire Lokomotiv Jaroslavl team. In addition to the legendary Demitra, three Czech hockey players Josef Vašek, Jan Marek and Karel Rachůnek also died.
Ružička remembers the fateful day very well. “When I went home to Trenčín by car, I heard a tragedy report in the radio that a plane with hockey players Jaroslavli fell on the way to Belarus… I didn’t even realize it at the first moment. I just drove and suddenly saw Trenčín board. It was a very weird, terrible feeling“he recalled the moment he first heard what happened.
He didn’t want to talk to anyone. “I turned off my cell phone and I was home. Only in the morning I gradually breathed, I turned on my cell phone and had 145 unused calls. They were terrible feelings and they are still … The next day the Slovak Ambassador to Moscow has already called Mr. Migaš and We already actually knew what actually happened. And gradually, actions to transport Pali’s body to Slovakia began to be carried out, “he revealed.
What happened on the fateful day on board the plane? “Both pilots failed in the cockpit, one was supposed to brake and add the other. Subsequently, as the plane took off, the mast at the airport was supposed to be captured by the wing and then collapsed, “he explained what information they got. But Demitra had no fly to Russia. “He was still injured, but he asked he wanted to go with the team. He wouldn’t play the match anyway,” confirmed Ružička.
Shortly before the departure they called together. “It was on that fateful day, they even went to the airport. He called me and informed me about how to meet Mr. Galis (former Slovak football player, ed.),” said. Former boss Dukla Trenčín revealed that they argued together that when Demitra ended the season in Russia, he would do this club and should also be the face of sports for youth.
Ružička traveled to Moscow together with the club president Jozef Mitoch and other friend Peter Havier after his body. “We were told by Minister Daniel Lipšic that he was willing to provide us with a government special to bring the body of Moscow to Slovakia to Slovakia. So I, Jožko Mitocha, Peto Havier and Mrs. from the Ministry of Interior Miroslava Vozáryová, we went to his body, “he recalled.
The flight home was bitter. “There was absolute silence on board. Nobody said anything, only everyone was looked at each other… We arrived in Moscow, we were there for less than an hour, gave us a coffin and went home to Bratislava. From there, Pali’s body was driven to Trenčín by helicopter, “he revealed the details. But they did not see Demitra’s body. As he revealed, he was in the tin chest with a wooden cover.
He remembers him only in good. “He had a huge charisma, he didn’t refuse anyone, you could sit down and talk to everyone. He did not select anyone, excelled not only in hockey, but also outside it. We experienced it really non -escape, attended, went to hunting together“Ružička added.
