The Hockey News: Headlines: Officials: Tests show Russian hockey player Cherepanov was blood doping

Officials: Tests show Russian hockey player Cherepanov was blood doping

2008-12-29 10:53:00

MOSCOW - Blood and urine samples show hockey star Alexei Cherepanov engaged in blood doping, Russian investigators said in a statement Monday.

Cherepanov, 19, collapsed Oct. 13 while on the bench for Omsk club Avangard in Russia's Continental Hockey League, known as the KHL. The player, a top prospect for the NHL's New York Rangers, died shortly afterwards.

Russia's federal Investigative Committee said a chemical analysis of the samples allowed experts to conclude ``that for several months Alexei Cherepanov engaged in blood doping.'' There was no elaboration, and a spokeswoman at the committee refused to comment further.

The statement also said Cherepanov in his final year suffered from myocarditis, a condition where not enough blood gets to the heart, and should not have been playing professional hockey.

The club's medical team might carry legal liability in the episode, the statement added.

``A row of gross violations was committed by the medical brigade helping A. Cherepanov,'' the statement said. Among them, doctors arrived on the scene a full 12 minutes after Cherepanov collapsed, and the battery on the defibrillator to attempt shock Cherepanov's heart back into life was drained, the statement said.

Prosecutors earlier this month accused the club's director of negligence. Mikhail Denisov has since been fired, and Monday's statement did not mention him.

COMMENTS (8)

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John H. Posted
(2009-04-30 07:33:09)

Say what you want about the NHLPA, but it would never--nor would the league itself, I should think--allow an arena to be equipped without defibrillators or trained paramedics. Sure enough, Jiri Fischer would've died right at the bench were it not for this kind of preparation. It's just still so devastatingly sad that this 19-year-old -- good Lord, he was just a kid! -- is dead. This blood-doping news must be a swift kick in the ribs to his already-grieving family.

Tha Dogg Posted
(2009-04-30 07:33:04)

Blood doping is where the player removes his own blood, and puts it in storage. His body then replenishes his blood volume. After this, the stored blood is separated into its components, and the red blood cells taken out and injected back into the player. Basically the end result is more red blood cells per volume of blood, and therefore more oxygen transport (> better performance). Problem is though that it makes the blood thicker and increases the risk of blood clots etc.

Spike Posted
(2009-04-30 07:33:04)

To Flake- Blood doping is packing red blood cells down and injecting them into an athlete or using drugs like epoetin to cause the body to make more red blood cells than normal. More red blood cells means more oxygen use and athletes can work at a higher level for longer. It causes the blood to thicken too much though and can cause clots and heart attacks- which is unfortunately what happened with Cherapanov. It is sad that athletes turn to such desperate tactics and that crooked medical providers are out there to help.

Bob Posted
(2009-04-30 07:33:03)

It's just amazing to me that Russia starts a league to rival the NHL. The KHL is run by ex-NHLers and Russian hockey people. How in the world can they even schedule a game without medical personnel, an ambulance and OPERATIONAL EQUIPMENT? Not to mention that the team doctors are grossly ineffective at looking after the health of their players! Any player who was even thinking about cashing in on a bigger and better contract must have gotten a big wake up call!

Flake Posted
(2009-04-30 07:32:58)

Blood doping? What the hell is that?

Rangers57 Posted
(2009-04-30 07:32:57)

As we the fans often complain about how the NHL is run by a bunch of "IDIOTS", I think (an this is only my opinion) that the NHL seems to be on a higher level of medicial awareness than the newly established KHL. Now what I'm going to say some people might take offense to, but I don't really care as I think it's the truth. The KHL being newly established seems to be run by a nation of paranoid ex-communists or still communists who just love taking short cuts doing things under the table all the while claiming that they are on par with the western nations. The russians just don't get it, ACCOUNTABILITY. While their may be some former ex-NHL russian players that are in high management positions in the KHL, corruption is probably rampant. I originally thought that at the start-up of the KHL that they just might be a force to reckon with, but they have shown the old adige. As much as everything changes, NOTHING changes!

bawston dude Posted
(2009-04-30 07:32:42)

They're trying to spread the blame now? Thats pretty smart on their part. It seems more believable. BUT,you know its BS. Its ALL on the league here. They failed as a whole to save this young mans life. HOPEFULLY his death will spark the league to take the proper precautions so when and if the same episode happens,there wont be any hesitation.

Matt R Posted
(2009-04-30 07:32:40)

What a terrible situation... RIP Alexei. How can you be so unprepared at a professional sporting event. Can you imagine the uproar here if Jiri Fischer had of died because they took their sweet ass time getting to him only to find out the defibrilator's battery was dead?