ACCIDENT IN EKATERINBURG

On sunday on the 17th minute of the KHL eightfinal match Avtomobilist vs. Salavat Yulaev the local fan climbed over the subs’ bench of the Ufa team and strongly hit the goalkeeper of the guests Vitaliy Kolesnik on the head. That could have turned a tragedy.


According to correspondent present at the match everything started with dispute between one of the supporters of the first row next to the subs’ bench and the reserve keeper of Salavat Vitaliy Kolesnik.

After that an enraged spectator got over to the bench and had a hockey stick in his hands with which he struck the goaltender on the head.

Kolesnik was brought off the arena with a transsection and heavy brain concussion and the match was cancelled for twenty minutes.

"It is difficult for me to comment on this game," said the head coach of Salavat Yulaev Vyacheslav Bykov.

"You know, when at the Vancouver-2010 a Georgian luger died I was shocked. And I experience the similar feelings at the moment. We have avoided a tragedy by miracle."

And here it is what Kolesnik himself answered on the matter after he spent an hour testifying to an investigator who is to launch a criminal case.

"I am sorry but my head aches very much so I can answer only a few questions," said the onslaught victim.

"Some supporters were very aggressive from the very beginning. Some players and I tried to calm them down but to no effect."

"Then suddenly my eyes caught sideways that a man approached the bench and took a hockey stick. I managed to dodge the first blow but the second hit me right on the head. What came next I do not remember clearly."

"The doctors put in several stitches and bandaged my head. I put on a baseball cap and returned to the team."

"I am not sure that the hooligan was of sound mind. The doctor of Salavat noticed that his pupils were unnaturally broad."

"Nothing of the kind has ever happened to me before, neither in NHL nor in Russia. By the way according to the doctor I was extremely lucky – had this man struck a bit sideways I would become an invalid."