Wednesday September 7th, 2011 most likely isn't a day too many people will remember, but for me it is one I will never forget. For me it started off like any other. I got up around 11, and started my day by checking some things out online. Being the hockey junkie that I am, I checked my favorite websites and saw one of the most disturbing headlines I have seen in a while. The KHL hockey team, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl had been involved in a plane crash, and all of the team members, except for one had died. After reading a little more, I found out that guys I considered household names were on that plane. Pavol Demitra, Karlis Skrastins, Josef Vasicek. But one name stood out, and it was one that really hurt. Ruslan Salei.
There are probably very few people outside of the clique that is diehard hockey fans that know who Ruslan Salei is, but to me he will always be someone special. Last Wednesday this world lost that someone special. Ruslan Salei was a second or third pairing defenseman who was known for his stay at home play and strong defensive game, and pretty much nothing star worthy. He played for the Anaheim Mighty Ducks from 1996 through 2006, and became the man known simply as "Rusty." Rusty was the guy who heckled teammates and reporters alike. Rusty was the guy who came into work every day, put in 100%, didn't take shit from anyone and was respected by everyone.
As a Ducks fan I will always Ruslan Salei for the 2003 Stanley Cup Finals. As a 12 year old hockey fan, who watched his team get demolished in the first two games, I needed something special. 7 minutes into the first overtime, Ruslan Salei fired a wrister into the back of the net that sent the Arrowhead Pond and the Dooley household alike into a frenzy. I turned into a little girl screaming at a Taylor Swift concert and it was all because of Ruslan Salei. Although the Ducks would lose that series, that is one goal I will never forget as long as I live. The feeling of seeing my team win a game on hockey's biggest stage for the first time was something special, and it was all thanks to Ruslan Salei.
Ruslan's memory will live on for a long time with Ducks and NHL fans and players alike. Pavel Datsyuk payed his respects by wearing Salei's number 24 during this years preseason, and the Ducks had a special tribute video for Salei prior to their first preseason game. You will never be forgotten Ruslan.
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