Erie Otters goaltender Ramis Sadikov, a 20-year-old native of Moscow, Russia, lost three close friends in the Russian airline crash earlier this month that killed nearly 40 members of the Kontinental Hockey League’s Lokomotiv Yaroslavl club.

The plane, which reportedly crashed shortly after takeoff, was on its way to Minsk, Belarus, for the team’s season-opening game. The victims included Russian-born players Danill Sobchenko, 20, Yuri Urychev, 20, and Sergei Ostapchuk, 21.

Sadikov was a bit choked up while speaking to the media Tuesday, the day he rejoined the Otters after being given his unconditional release by the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings.

He recalled meeting Sobchenko for the first time when Sobchenko joined Lokomotiv. Sadikov and Urychev played on a Russian club together when they were younger. Sadikov met Ostapchuk two years ago while playing in the Subway Super Series, which features games between OHL, QMJHL and WHL all-star teams and a Russian club.

“It’s hard to lose like three friends on the plane,” Sadikov said.  “I know these guys for all my hockey career.”

- Victor Fernandes

Erie Otters goaltender Ramis Sadikov, a 20-year-old native of Moscow, Russia, lost some close friends in the Russian airline crash earlier this month that killed nearly 40 members of the Kontinental Hockey League’s Lokomotiv Yaroslavl club.

The plane, which reportedly crashed shortly after takeoff, was on its way to Minsk, Belarus, for the team’s season-opening game.

Sadikov was a bit choked up while speaking to the media Tuesday, the day he rejoined the Otters after being given his unconditional release by the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings. “It’s hard to lose like three friends on the plane,” Sadikov said. “I know these guys for all my hockey career.”

- Victor Fernandes