Author: milwhcky

On September 7, 2011, a passenger jet aircraft carrying the pro Russian hockey team Lokomotiv Yaroslavl crashed during takeoff near Yaroslavl, Russia, killing 44 of the 45 people on board. The team was flying to its first game of the season in Belarus. The team competed in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).

The team’s roster included former NHL players Pavol Demitra, Ruslan Salei, Karlis Skrastins, Josef Vasicek, Karel Rachunek, and Alexander Vasyunov. The team’s coaching staff also had NHL playing experience in head coach Brad McCrimmon and assistant coaches Alexander Karpovtsev and Igor Korolev. In addition, Robert Dietrich and Stefan Liv had experience playing in the AHL minor league in the United States. The balance of the players and staff were from Eastern European nations.

Investigators ruled pilot error as the cause of the crash. During takeoff, one pilot was accelerating, while his co-pilot was on the brakes. As a result, the plane did not reach adequate speed by the end of the runway and crashed into the Volga River. The only surviving person was a flight engineer.

© Google Maps 2011-09-07 Lokomotiv Yaroslavl plane crash site	© Google Maps Karlis Skrastins memorial
© Bing Maps Pavol Demitra's House	© Bing Maps Ruslan Salei's House

The National Hockey League’s Stanley Cup Final series begins tonight. The best-of-seven game series will determine the league champions.

Representing the Western Conference are the Los Angeles Kings, who entered the playoffs with a losing record. However, they came on very strong in the playoffs. They are the first team to defeat the #1 and 2 seeds in a conference playoff run, and defeated the #3 seed for good measure. The Kings enter the final series with a 12-2 playoff record after beating Vancouver in five games, St. Louis in four games, and Phoenix in five games.

Representing the Eastern Conference are the New Jersey Devils. They were the sixth seed in the conference, despite racking up an impressive 102 points in the regular season. They are 12-6 in the playoffs after beating Florida in seven games, Philadelphia in five games, and the New York Rangers in six games.

Both teams will battle for the Stanley Cup, one of the most iconic trophies in sports. The Cup was first awarded in 1893. It has been given to the NHL champions since 1927. Once a small trophy, it has grown to almost three feet in height. The names of the winning players are engraved on the trophy for future generations to appreciate.

The Indianapolis 500 open-wheel car race is held annually at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on the day before the American Memorial Day holiday. The race was first held in 1911.

The race consists of 200 laps around a unique 2.5 mile rectangular oval circuit. In recent years, the top qualifying lap speeds have exceeded 225 miles per hour, with straightaway speeds exceeding 230. The Speedway can hold up to 400,000 spectators.

The 2012 IndyCar season features a new formula of car, with the return of turbo-charged engines, a new chassis designed for improved driver safety, and three competing engine manufacturers (Chevrolet, Honda, Lotus).

http://blogs.msdn.com/virtualearth/archive/2008/07/21/virtual-earth-imagery-release-july-2008.aspx

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