UkrainianGuy
04-10-2008, 03:16 AM
Jim Matheson, edmontonjournal.com
Published: Tuesday, September 23, 2008
VANCOUVER - Nobody can begin to know the depths of Jussi Markkanen's despair after his little boy Olli died after falling out of a window in Moscow a few days ago.
His Edmonton Oiler buddies are sharing his grief.
"For the first time ever in my life I was thinking of other things on the ice during the game of hockey (Monday)," said centre Shawn Horcoff, whose mind was half a world away.
Jussi Markkanen
He's got kids like Markkanen, and it broke his heart."For the four or five of us who've been with Jussi for the two times he played for the Oilers, this is devastating. We grew up with those kids (Olli and Juho). I have a daughter who's only five months younger than Olli," said Horcoff.
"You can't even begin to put this (tragedy) into words. You don't even know where to start with Jussi, to help him ease the pain."
The Oilers are awaiting news of when and where the funeral might be. Some of them have talked of being there to support Markkanen and his wife Sanna.
Markkanen's agent Don Meehan said he talked to the 33-year-old goalie today in Moscow and while "he was distraught, he was under control."
Markkanen told Meehan that his parents were coming to Moscow. Meehan said 0lli's body would be returning to Finland. There are no funeral arrangements yet, and, for now, Meehan said, there is no place to drop a note of sympathy for the goalie but he is working on that.
"This is the worst kind of news you could possibly have, obviously," said Oilers coach Craig MacTavish. "Great guy, great mother, wonderful boys. This is very tough. Jussi meant an awful lot to this organization."
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TRAGEDY STRIKES MARKKANEN FAMILY
* ITEM: FOUR-YEAR-OLD SON DIES IN FALL
This report comes from Peter Adler, the veteran hockey journalist, who spoke to his Russian contact: "Jussi Markkanen's son Oli-matias (4) fell out of a window in the goalie's apartment in Moscow yesterday and died almost instantly ... the CSKA goalie brought his family to join in him in
Moscow
just a couple of weeks ago ... it seems Oli-Matias was playing with his younger brother, climbed on the window sill and fell ..."
Markkanen, 33, played five seasons for the Edmonton Oilers. Last season, he played in Helsinki, but he returned to the Russian league this fall, having enjoyed tremendous on-ice success there during the 2004-05 NHL lock-out season.
I'm sure that I speak for all Oilers fans, and all parents, in expressing my deepest sympathies to Markkanen and his wife, Sanna.
I will add updates as they come.
Adler now reports: "CSKA lost to Dynamo, 4-3, on the night of the tragedy ... Unsure whether jussi will stay or will require a break, the team has called up a spare goalie ... The entire team went to Markkanen's place after the game, to spend time with him and his family ..."
Russian TV has some images of the apartment, a modern building with large balconies. Adler reports: "The dark one shows the apartment building as Jussi's treammates arrived, the other one investigation on the spot, and the other part of it, the child's body is taken away."
Published: Tuesday, September 23, 2008
VANCOUVER - Nobody can begin to know the depths of Jussi Markkanen's despair after his little boy Olli died after falling out of a window in Moscow a few days ago.
His Edmonton Oiler buddies are sharing his grief.
"For the first time ever in my life I was thinking of other things on the ice during the game of hockey (Monday)," said centre Shawn Horcoff, whose mind was half a world away.
Jussi Markkanen
He's got kids like Markkanen, and it broke his heart."For the four or five of us who've been with Jussi for the two times he played for the Oilers, this is devastating. We grew up with those kids (Olli and Juho). I have a daughter who's only five months younger than Olli," said Horcoff.
"You can't even begin to put this (tragedy) into words. You don't even know where to start with Jussi, to help him ease the pain."
The Oilers are awaiting news of when and where the funeral might be. Some of them have talked of being there to support Markkanen and his wife Sanna.
Markkanen's agent Don Meehan said he talked to the 33-year-old goalie today in Moscow and while "he was distraught, he was under control."
Markkanen told Meehan that his parents were coming to Moscow. Meehan said 0lli's body would be returning to Finland. There are no funeral arrangements yet, and, for now, Meehan said, there is no place to drop a note of sympathy for the goalie but he is working on that.
"This is the worst kind of news you could possibly have, obviously," said Oilers coach Craig MacTavish. "Great guy, great mother, wonderful boys. This is very tough. Jussi meant an awful lot to this organization."
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TRAGEDY STRIKES MARKKANEN FAMILY
* ITEM: FOUR-YEAR-OLD SON DIES IN FALL
This report comes from Peter Adler, the veteran hockey journalist, who spoke to his Russian contact: "Jussi Markkanen's son Oli-matias (4) fell out of a window in the goalie's apartment in Moscow yesterday and died almost instantly ... the CSKA goalie brought his family to join in him in
Moscow
just a couple of weeks ago ... it seems Oli-Matias was playing with his younger brother, climbed on the window sill and fell ..."
Markkanen, 33, played five seasons for the Edmonton Oilers. Last season, he played in Helsinki, but he returned to the Russian league this fall, having enjoyed tremendous on-ice success there during the 2004-05 NHL lock-out season.
I'm sure that I speak for all Oilers fans, and all parents, in expressing my deepest sympathies to Markkanen and his wife, Sanna.
I will add updates as they come.
Adler now reports: "CSKA lost to Dynamo, 4-3, on the night of the tragedy ... Unsure whether jussi will stay or will require a break, the team has called up a spare goalie ... The entire team went to Markkanen's place after the game, to spend time with him and his family ..."
Russian TV has some images of the apartment, a modern building with large balconies. Adler reports: "The dark one shows the apartment building as Jussi's treammates arrived, the other one investigation on the spot, and the other part of it, the child's body is taken away."