Minnesota Wild hockey star dies of heart failure during game

[SmileyBoy]

Ex-Wild Zholtok is dead at 31
Chris Snow, Star Tribune
November 4, 2004

Sergei Zholtok, the popular, introspective center who played almost three full seasons with the Wild, died Wednesday during a game in Minsk, Belarus. He is believed to have died of heart failure.

Zholtok, 31, was playing for HC Riga 2000 when he left the bench late in a tie game and collapsed in or near the visiting locker room, according to NHL agent Neil Sheehy. Paramedics unsuccessfully attempted to revive Zholtok, Sheehy said.

In a convergence of time and place, another former Wild player, Darby Hendrickson, was playing with Riga because of the NHL lockout. He accompanied Zholtok to the locker room. And, according to Sheehy, Zholtok died in Hendrickson's arms.

Said Sheehy, who is Hendrickson's agent: "He told Darby, 'Don't leave.' "

Sheehy said Hendrickson also told him: "I have a deep faith. I was meant to be here."

It was only last season, on Oct. 21, 2003, that Zholtok fainted at Xcel Energy Center in the runway to the locker room. He was diagnosed with hyperventilation. Ten days later, additional testing at the Mayo Clinic revealed an irregular heartbeat.

Four days after that, which was exactly one year ago Wednesday, Zholtok was cleared by his cardiologist to return to the Wild.

Zholtok leaves behind two sons, Edgar, who is in his early teens, and Nikita, a toddler, and a wife, Anna. They were in Latvia at the time of Zholtok's death, Sheehy said. Sheehy said Zholtok's father lives in Minsk and was at the rink Wednesday.

More at: http://www.startribune.com/stories/1330/5067513.html

[Kagemusha]

1. My first thought was, "Wait. Lockout. What gives..." Poor guy.

nt

[truthisfreedom]

2. sad. one of my best friends is a hockey player... he'll be devastated to

hear about this.

[Krupskaya]

3. Wild fan here.

I am so sad about this. I felt a physical shock when I read the story last night. Zholtok was a great, great guy. Thoughts to his family.